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Flat Earth Discussion Boards => Flat Earth Debate => Topic started by: Scintific Method on July 16, 2013, 06:20:36 PM

Title: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on July 16, 2013, 06:20:36 PM
This is lifted from another thread with minimal editing, so it'll look familiar to some of you!

For this you need an accurate map. Now, right away, I know you'll be thinking "but the maps will have been doctored to give you the results you find". Well, if they were, this method would actually show it up with inconsistent results, but it doesn't, so you can put that thought out of your mind.

Equipment: 1 spirit level, 1 set square, and 1 ruler. You might also want something to set the spirit level up on, and some packing to level it.

Method: pick a mountain that is easily identifiable from a distance (I have a few to pick from where I am). Find a point on the map 30km away, 40km away, and 50km away (or any other largish distances, as long as you can measure them accurately. This is part of what negates any doctoring of the maps: picking arbitrary points to measure from). Set up your spirit level so that it points toward the mountain you picked, ensuring it is level. Set your ruler at a specific distance along the top of the level, standing up at right angles to it (that's what the set square is for). Sight from the edge of the level furthest from the mountain to the mountain top, and note where your line of sight crosses the ruler. The ratio of the measurement on the ruler to it's distance along the top of the level would be equal to the ratio of the mountain's height above your observation point to your distance to it (simple triangular geometry).

The height of the location the measurement is taken from is important, as you will get different results from different elevations at a given distance. Another reason why this cannot be faked or doctored.

In the below diagram, the ratio of h/d should be equal to r/s if the earth is flat, and should always be that way, no matter how far away from the mountain you are.

(http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4084/mountainmeasuring.png)

When I did this experiment though, there was a difference between h/d and r/s, and it got bigger and bigger the further away I got from the mountain. I did some extra maths to work out where the mountain top would be for a round earth:

apparent height on a round earth = square root of ((earth's radius + h)2 - d2) - (earth's radius + altitude of your position)

When I tested the results against those calculations, they matched perfectly. Remember: maths and geometry don't care what shape the earth is; they will always tell you the truth.

Results:

Mountain (Castle Top, in the Nandewar Ranges): 1075m AMSL
Point 1 (my back yard): 30.44km from peak, 215m AMSL
Point 2 (Kamilaroi Hwy): 40.46km from peak, 205m ASMSL
Point 3 (Wee Waa levee): 55.57km from peak, 192m AMSL

Using a 1100mm baseline on the spirit level, the following apparent heights were recorded:
Point 1: 28mm
Point 2: 18mm
Point 3: 11mm
Let's be pessimistic and say they're only within 1mm either way.

Here's what they should have been for a flat earth:
Point 1: 31mm
Point 2: 21mm
Point 3: 16mm
Note the increasing difference. This is due to the mountain 'going over the edge'.

Conclusion: The data collected disagrees with FE predictions*, and almost exactly matches RE predictions. The experiment is easy to conduct, and not prone to significant error, so the results can be considered reliable.

* Rowbotham's 'perspective' has been cited as a possible cause of the results. However, a passing familiarity with geometry should be sufficient to show that this 'effect' is not responsible for the rate at which the actual measurements diverge from what they should be for a flat earth.

Interesting Note: if you use the following equation, you can work out the difference between the apparent height for a round earth and a flat earth (with respect to the diagram):

rf - rr = s * tan((d / ce) * 360 / 2)

where rf is the apparent height on a flat earth, rr is the apparent height on a round earth, and ce is the circumference of the round earth. d and ce need to be in the same units as each other, and rf - rr will be in the same units as s.


Sorry for the long post! I thought it would be best to give plenty of detail, so that others can reproduce this experiment and obtain accurate results.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Whovian on July 16, 2013, 08:16:31 PM
Interesting!

While I'm a RE supporter, I'm guessing a lot of FE'ers will cite "Bendy Light," AKA Electromagnetic Acceleration (long story) as an explanation for this. Has this been considered?
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on July 16, 2013, 09:11:09 PM
Interesting!

While I'm a RE supporter, I'm guessing a lot of FE'ers will cite "Bendy Light," AKA Electromagnetic Acceleration (long story) as an explanation for this. Has this been considered?

If light bent away from the surface of the earth at a consistent 1° per 60 nautical miles traveled, then yes, "bendy light" could possibly explain this. It could also explain the curvature measured by all other properly conducted experiments. However, there are a number of unresolved issues with "bendy light", mostly covered in this thread: Another hitch with bendy light? (http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php/topic,58042.0.html)
Given those problems, I don't think that "bendy light" can be pulled out as an explanation for anything just yet.

Thanks for the comment!  :)
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: darknavyseal on July 16, 2013, 11:10:55 PM
Are you actually experimenting? Data? What is this? Are you lost? This is the Flat Earth Society, you utterly foolish noob! Do you not know that data is not welcome here?

Be GONE!!! >o<
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Son of Orospu on July 17, 2013, 12:32:13 AM
Darknavyseal, please keep your low content replies out of the upper fora.  This is not your playground.   Consider this a warning.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on July 30, 2013, 04:19:25 PM
has anyone tried this yet? Particularly flat earth advocates? If you don't have a spirit level, you can jury rig a very accurate one using a long straight-edge and a length of water filled plastic tube.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on July 30, 2013, 04:28:03 PM
has anyone tried this yet? Particularly flat earth advocates? If you don't have a spirit level, you can jury rig a very accurate one using a long straight-edge and a length of water filled plastic tube.

I'm going to try this on Mt. Hood (er, against Mt. Hood?) from various places near my home. Might do Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams as well.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on July 30, 2013, 05:12:42 PM
has anyone tried this yet? Particularly flat earth advocates? If you don't have a spirit level, you can jury rig a very accurate one using a long straight-edge and a length of water filled plastic tube.

I'm going to try this on Mt. Hood (er, against Mt. Hood?) from various places near my home. Might do Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams as well.

That should give some pretty outstanding results! Remember, the further away you get, the greater the difference between FE and RE predicted heights.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on July 30, 2013, 08:43:42 PM
Mt. Adams:
Measurement: 0.875" at 36" (1.39 degrees)

Distance (me to mountain): 114.2 km (70.96 mi)
Summit (height of mountain): 3743 m (12,280 feet)
Elevation (me ASL: 84 m (276 feet)

FE Prediction: 1.15" (1.84 degrees)
RP Prediction: 1.14" (1.81 degrees) (that's Rowbotham's Perspective Prediction)
RE Prediction: 0.83" (1.32 degrees)

My measurement differed from FE predictions by .28", or 31% error.
My measurement differed from RP predictions by .27", or 30% error
My measurement differed from RE predictions by .05", or 6% error.

EQUATIONS (see below for list of givens):

FE Predictions:
3659 m * 36 in / 114200 m = 1.15 in

RP Prediction: Amount of mountain 'merged' with horizon (due to <1 arcminute diameter):
Y = 114200 m * tan(0.01667 degrees) = 33 m

Predicted measurement:
(3659 m - 33 m) * 36 in / 114200 m = 1.14 in

RE Predictions: A bit more complicated. First, the angle of the Earth over which I was viewing:
A = (114.2 km / 40009 km) * 360 degrees = 1.03 degrees

Next, the drop height over 114.2 km:
d = 6371 km * cos(A) = 1.025 km

Next, the apparent height of the mountain (tilted at A=1.03 degrees away from what I see as vertical):
t = 3659 m * cos(A) = 3658 m

Then, how high the mountain was above my horizontal:
H = t - d = 2633 m

Finally, how high that should appear:
H * 36 in / 114200 m = 0.830 in

PROCEDURE:

Tools: Spirit Level, yard stick, carpenter's square, friend.

Using the apex of the roof and a metal protrusion, we used the spirit level to make the carpenter's square perfectly horizontal (and stable), pointing toward Mt. Adams. Then, my friend used the spirit level to make sue the upper leg of the square was perfectly vertical. Using the yardstick, I placed my eye exactly 36 inches from the close edge of the square's vertical leg. I then used the yardstick to indicate where on the square's vertical leg I saw the summit of Mt. Adams. My friend placed a fingernail there, and we read the measurement together: 7/8 inch.

I took and recorded the measurement before calculating the RE and FE predictions.

Givens

Radius of the Earth: 6371 km (3959 mi)
Circumference of the Earth: 40,009 km (24,860 mi)
Distance (me to mountain): 114.2 km (70.96 mi)
Summit (height of mountain): 3743 m (12,280 feet)
Elevation (me ASL: 84 m (276 feet)
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on July 31, 2013, 12:36:43 AM
Nice writeup Alex! Wonder if any FE'ers will follow your fine example?  ;)
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on July 31, 2013, 10:12:36 AM
Thanks! Sadly, only Adams was visible from my roof. I'll have to drive a bit to get a view of Hood or Helens.

And using my awesome psychic powers of prediction, I foresee that not only will no flat-earth advocate attempt this, but they will refuse to acknowledge that this experiment even exists.

I found it quite enjoyable, however. When I post my observations of Hood and Helens, I'll skip the whole equation section. Just the cold, hard facts.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: KiwiOneBite on July 31, 2013, 11:27:52 AM
Nice writeup Alex! Wonder if any FE'ers will follow your fine example?  ;)

I'm afraid that they may be too preoccupied with looking at clouds from an airplane rather than taking part in a cleverly designed experiment.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on July 31, 2013, 12:12:50 PM
Nice writeup Alex! Wonder if any FE'ers will follow your fine example?  ;)

I'm afraid that they may be too preoccupied with looking at clouds from an airplane rather than taking part in a cleverly designed experiment.

Astutely noticed! FYI, I wouldn't worry about low-content posting here. This thread doesn't exist, apparently.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Tom Bishop on August 02, 2013, 07:14:17 PM
We already know about the Sinking Ship Effect (http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/za/za32.htm).
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on August 02, 2013, 11:59:31 PM
We already know about the Sinking Ship Effect (http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/za/za32.htm).

And how is that relevant to the thread? This is about geometry and the major difference between apparent heights on flat surfaces, and those on curved surfaces, not the visual merging of the lower portion of a distant object with the surface upon which it rests (which, btw, does not explain objects being obscured by the horizon, but that's not the topic of this thread).
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Tom Bishop on August 03, 2013, 01:06:01 AM
I would suggest reading the chapter to see how it is relevant.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: DDDDAts all folks on August 03, 2013, 01:44:31 AM
I would suggest reading the chapter to see how it is relevant.

I'm sorry but this does not help and is extremely obtuse.

It's like me suggesting you read a geometry book to see how that theory is wrong.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on August 03, 2013, 01:58:20 AM
I would suggest reading the chapter to see how it is relevant.

Like I said, this is about geometry and the reduction of apparent height of objects as distance increases over flat vs. curved surfaces, NOT the reduction of visual features to less than one arc minute of angle at the viewer's eye as distance increases. Seriously Tom, try to keep your comments relevant to the topic at hand.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 03, 2013, 07:17:39 AM
I would suggest reading the chapter to see how it is relevant.

Like I said, this is about geometry and the reduction of apparent height of objects as distance increases over flat vs. curved surfaces, NOT the reduction of visual features to less than one arc minute of angle at the viewer's eye as distance increases. Seriously Tom, try to keep your comments relevant to the topic at hand.

Tom, if you look at my data, I have given you how tall Mt. Adams was in degrees. The summit was well above the vanishing point, and even if the base of the mountain became indistinguishable from the horizon, this wouldn't magically pull the summit lower.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 13, 2013, 04:05:20 PM
Tom is exactly correct that you are misinterpreting perspective. The experiment would prove nothing to me. I have no doubt that the mountains' height as calculated by simple art-school perspective will differ.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on August 13, 2013, 04:51:51 PM
The experiment would prove nothing to me.

No surprises there, the rest of your comment makes it pretty clear that you do not understand the basis of this experiment: geometry. If you can tell me how something looks half a degree (that's the visual size of the sun or moon, btw) lower than it should be, I'll be very interested.

Slightly off-topic: if you can also tell me how something can appear ~50 times it's own width lower than it should be (the sun at sunrise or sunset), that would also be quite interesting.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 13, 2013, 05:03:16 PM
If you had read any of the material provided, you would see that Dr. Rowbotham meets your objection and that art-school perspective is not rooted in reality, but merely approximates it.   :-\
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on August 13, 2013, 05:21:50 PM
If you had read any of the material provided, you would see that Dr. Rowbotham meets your objection and that art-school perspective is not rooted in reality, but merely approximates it.   :-\

I have read the material provided, and there's a good reason why art school perspective does not account for what is seen: art school perspective is based on planar geometry. In other words, it is what we should see if the earth were flat.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 13, 2013, 06:18:58 PM
Tom is exactly correct that you are misinterpreting perspective. The experiment would prove nothing to me. I have no doubt that the mountains' height as calculated by simple art-school perspective will differ.

Okay, so the bottom arcminute of Mt. Adams merged with the horizon. Do you know how much that is? 33 meters. So let's assume this somehow magically pulls the summit of Mt. Adams 33 meters closer to the ground--shortened my measurement by a whole arcminute.

My measurement was off from FE predictions by 30 arcminutes. Where are those extra 29 arcminutes coming from, Ski? Why was my measurement a whole half-degree shorter than what FE predicts?
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Rama Set on August 13, 2013, 07:45:41 PM
If you had read any of the material provided, you would see that Dr. Rowbotham meets your objection and that art-school perspective is not rooted in reality, but merely approximates it.   :-\

Art school perspective is based on observation. Brunelleschi would trace reflections on mirrors to derive a 2D image of a 3D subject. Rowbotham's perspective is based on wishful thinking and was created to suit his needs.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Megaman on August 14, 2013, 05:37:49 AM
I'm glad that the two "FE supporters" who bothered to respond displayed complete lack of understanding of the experiment. I consider their logical and mathematical ignorance as further support for RE.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 14, 2013, 09:29:08 AM
Tom is exactly correct that you are misinterpreting perspective. The experiment would prove nothing to me. I have no doubt that the mountains' height as calculated by simple art-school perspective will differ.

Okay, so the bottom arcminute of Mt. Adams merged with the horizon. Do you know how much that is? 33 meters. So let's assume this somehow magically pulls the summit of Mt. Adams 33 meters closer to the ground--shortened my measurement by a whole arcminute.

My measurement was off from FE predictions by 30 arcminutes. Where are those extra 29 arcminutes coming from, Ski? Why was my measurement a whole half-degree shorter than what FE predicts?

You obviously didn't read the chapter Tom provided you. I'm not sure how else to help you.  :-\ 
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 14, 2013, 09:45:01 AM
I did read the chapter. It says: "when any object or any part thereof is so far removed that its greatest diameter subtends at the eye of the observer, an angle of one minute or less of a degree, it is no longer visible."

The two examples with the disks show that while the portions of a larger objects vanish, the object itself remains unchanged--The disk with a 1-inch stripe on the bottom is still perfectly round even when the white segment disappears.

He then proceeds to give many examples--all of which can be misinterpretations of viewing things disappearing over the curve of a round Earth, but that's for another time.

The important thing is that Rowbotham says that a) only objects, or parts of an object, less than one arcminute in diameter, cannot be seen and b) if a smaller part of a larger object is unable to be seen, the larger object remains wholly unchanged in size.

Let's take this to Mt. Adams, shall we? I measured 1.38 degrees--nearly 83 times larger than the size required for it to vanish. Even if a length of 33 meters did indeed vanish from the mountain, Rowbotham clearly states that the whole of the mountain would remain unchanged.

Your insistence that this can explain why I saw Adams a whole half-degree smaller than I should have for a flat Earth makes me wonder if any FEer has actually read Rowbotham's Chapter 14.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 14, 2013, 09:46:50 AM
If you had read any of the material provided, you would see that Dr. Rowbotham meets your objection and that art-school perspective is not rooted in reality, but merely approximates it.   :-\

Art school perspective is based on observation. Brunelleschi would trace reflections on mirrors to derive a 2D image of a 3D subject. Rowbotham's perspective is based on wishful thinking and was created to suit his needs.

Brunelleschi used a mirror to demonstrate how closely his painting matched the actual baptistry he painted. It was across a plaza and not near the horizon. If Brunelleschi had actually traced the reflection of a distant object, he may have realized how his take on linear perspective was flawed wherein lines dissimilarly distant from the eye-line recede at the same rate.

Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 14, 2013, 09:48:44 AM
I did read the chapter. It says: "when any object or any part thereof is so far removed that its greatest diameter subtends at the eye of the observer, an angle of one minute or less of a degree, it is no longer visible."

...

Your insistence that this can explain why I saw Adams a whole half-degree smaller than I should have for a flat Earth makes me wonder if any FEer has actually read Rowbotham's Chapter 14.

If Alex had read the chapter, ...
he may have realized how his take on linear perspective was flawed wherein lines dissimilarly distant from the eye-line recede at the same rate.
I would suggest reading the chapter to see how it is relevant.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 14, 2013, 09:56:38 AM
Okay, until Ski actually reads the theory he's attempting to use, does anybody have any real responses to this experiment?
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 14, 2013, 10:03:10 AM
You're dismissing the greater part of the chapter and simply acknowledging that objects can become indiscernible due to angular resolution (which everyone already knows). Perhaps you could read the part about how perspective works, and refrain from re-quoting the angular resolution part that noone is talking about specifically except for you...
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Rama Set on August 14, 2013, 10:29:23 AM
If you had read any of the material provided, you would see that Dr. Rowbotham meets your objection and that art-school perspective is not rooted in reality, but merely approximates it.   :-\

Art school perspective is based on observation. Brunelleschi would trace reflections on mirrors to derive a 2D image of a 3D subject. Rowbotham's perspective is based on wishful thinking and was created to suit his needs.

Brunelleschi used a mirror to demonstrate how closely his painting matched the actual baptistry he painted. It was across a plaza and not near the horizon. If Brunelleschi had actually traced the reflection of a distant object, he may have realized how his take on linear perspective was flawed wherein lines dissimilarly distant from the eye-line recede at the same rate.

He did what you describe as well, but he also traced a painting on to a mirror.

Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_%28graphical%29
In about 1413 a contemporary of Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, demonstrated the geometrical method of perspective, used today by artists, by painting the outlines of various Florentine buildings onto a mirror. When the building's outline was continued, he noticed that all of the lines converged on the horizon line.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 14, 2013, 10:41:00 AM
I would love to see a quote that is from something other than wiki.  I am not saying that you're wrong, only that I have never heard this account before.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Rama Set on August 14, 2013, 10:43:37 AM
I would love to see a quote that is from something other than wiki.  I am not saying that you're wrong, only that I have never heard this account before.

Fair enough.  I probably will not research that for you.  However, it is something that we could do at home if we had a mind to!
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 14, 2013, 10:49:56 AM
And as long as we aren't tracing something extremely distant receding to the horizon it would appear to work...  ;)
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 14, 2013, 12:50:49 PM
Ski, for debating whether or no perspective says what you think it says, go here: http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php/topic,59577.0.html#.UgvdZZLU9KI (http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php/topic,59577.0.html#.UgvdZZLU9KI)

I see where I was erring--I thought Rowbotham was able to keep a single coherent thought in his works, but that's obviously not the case. His first law of perspective says that the distance of an object's vanishing point is determined by it's size. Only a few paragraphs later he says an the distance of an object's vanishing point is determined by it's distance from eye-line.

At first I was mis-understanding that second part as just a re-statement of the first, but later on he is clearly saying that a 5-square-meter object sitting on the ground will vanish before a 20-centimeter-object suspended 7 meters in the air. That just doesn't happen.

But even if it does it doesn't change the Mt. Adams Experiment. The top of Mt. Adams was 3659 m above my eye-level, meaning it should have measured 1.88 degrees. Even if we take away the part of the mountain that has merged with the horizon, which using Rowbotham's 3000:1 rule would be 33 meters, you're still missing hundreds of meters of mountain.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: markjo on August 14, 2013, 08:29:15 PM
I would love to see a quote that is from something other than wiki.  I am not saying that you're wrong, only that I have never heard this account before.

How's this?  http://www.gallerydiabolus.com/gallery/artist.php?image=1612&id=utisz&page=214 (http://www.gallerydiabolus.com/gallery/artist.php?image=1612&id=utisz&page=214)
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 14, 2013, 10:56:35 PM
I would love to see a quote that is from something other than wiki.  I am not saying that you're wrong, only that I have never heard this account before.

How's this?  http://www.gallerydiabolus.com/gallery/artist.php?image=1612&id=utisz&page=214 (http://www.gallerydiabolus.com/gallery/artist.php?image=1612&id=utisz&page=214)

So a blog entry guessing that he may have had a contraption devized to paint a scene "which may or may not have existed."

Again, I'm not saying the tale is untrue. I am simply interested to hear if there are any actual accounts of this.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 14, 2013, 10:58:47 PM
I see where I was erring--I thought Rowbotham was able to keep a single coherent thought in his works, but that's obviously not the case.

And I erred when I thought you might have actually read the information we provided to your query without resorting to base falsehood and/or incomprehension.

See how easy it is to be needlessly snitty?   ::)
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 16, 2013, 09:17:28 AM
I see where I was erring--I thought Rowbotham was able to keep a single coherent thought in his works, but that's obviously not the case.

And I erred when I thought you might have actually read the information we provided to your query without resorting to base falsehood and/or incomprehension.

See how easy it is to be needlessly snitty?   ::)
There's a thread where I bring out what Rowbotham says. You've not given any reason why I've been interpreting it wrong other than saying "You're doing it wrong." Until you do, would you mind addressing the rest of my post?

The top of Mt. Adams was 3659 m above my eye-level, meaning it should have measured 1.88 degrees. Even if we take away the part of the mountain that has merged with the horizon, which using Rowbotham's 3000:1 rule would be 33 meters, you're still missing hundreds of meters of mountain.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 21, 2013, 04:41:46 PM
Bump because FE seems to have forgotten the little problem of actual observation disagreeing with their theory.

From a distance of 114.2 km and elevation of 84 m ASL, I measured a mountain with a summit elevation of 3743 m to have an angular diameter of 1.39 degrees, a staggering .5 degrees off the FE prediction (1.88 degrees) but very close to the RE prediction (1.32 degrees).

Following the math backwards, FE says the mountain has a summit elevation of 2631 m based on these observations. Where have the extra 1112 meters gone?
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 21, 2013, 04:50:53 PM
Did you make that measurement assuming the same vanishing point for the base of the mountain and the peak? You did. And therein lies the flaw, as you've been told repeatedly.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 21, 2013, 04:57:10 PM
Did you make that measurement assuming the same vanishing point for the base of the mountain and the peak? You did. And therein lies the flaw, as you've been told repeatedly.
No, actually, I didn't. In fact, I didn't make that measurement on any assumption at all. I simply measured the mountain.

But you're right, I didn't take Rowbotham's Perspective into account for my FE prediction. Here's the updated value:

tan-1((3659-33)/114200) = 1.81 degrees

I'll update the original post as well.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Ski on August 23, 2013, 11:45:10 AM
You've yet to show me any indication that you understand Rowbotham's perspective, so forgive my skepticism.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Alex Tomasovich on August 23, 2013, 12:19:28 PM
You've yet to show me any indication that you understand Rowbotham's perspective, so forgive my skepticism.
And you've yet to show me what I'm not understanding about Rowbotham's perspective. Please reply to this post (http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php/topic,59577.msg1529044.html#msg1529044) and tell me what I'm not getting.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: rottingroom on August 24, 2013, 03:01:48 PM
It seems that Ski's objections always amount to, "oh you just don't get it".
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Art on August 28, 2013, 06:49:14 PM
Tom is exactly correct that you are misinterpreting perspective. The experiment would prove nothing to me. I have no doubt that the mountains' height as calculated by simple art-school perspective will differ.

If I can climb a significant mountain, and measure 3D and 2D distance on the way,
and receive elevation with GPS, and also read elevation from topographic map data
given the 2D coordinates from GPS (independently determining altitude).
3D distance using Pythagoras' Theorem to apply the vertical difference to a 2D distance measurement.

What COULD be done to prove something to you with those tools?
AVEC GPS - Logan's Ridge, Sth Ridge. (http://#)

I am doing another climb soon, and can measure anything that I find a reason to measure.

I have heard people on this forum claiming to be pilots.
It happens I can also fly a single engine light aircraft (Piper Tomahawk) over the same area.
It wouldn't be unreasonable to fly 100km from a given point that I don't choose,
to any point that I do  choose, and one further extend of that ends up here.
The air base is about 70km away from this area.

Obviously I cannot fly across continents, or from one to another.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: 11cookeaw1 on October 19, 2013, 08:43:15 AM
So when challenged for evidence Ski runs away.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: SeekerOfTruth on October 19, 2013, 09:25:53 AM
We already know about the Sinking Ship Effect (http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/za/za32.htm).

The vanishing perspective theory is a consequence of the limitations of our optical acuity (diameter of the field of vision), if you read the article carefully, Tom. Hence, if you employ the use of a magnification device, the vanished perspective should be restored, since you have now increased the effective visual distance needed to achieve 1 arc minute.

This of course does not happen, as when you look at a ship through binoculars, the hull is still gone: the entire image is NOT restored, in proportion to its vanished perspective (and yes I have done this, many times).

FET requires another explanation, perhaps in a bending light. Vanishing perspective theory sadly cannot account for our everyday observations, even rather basic ones.

You should think about these thing carefully, before you simply post a link. These obvious discrepancies, when go un-addressed, make us look bad. 

Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: mohamed on October 21, 2013, 02:38:01 PM
Are you actually experimenting? Data? What is this? Are you lost? This is the Flat Earth Society, you utterly foolish noob! Do you not know that data is not welcome here?

Be GONE!!! >o<

Actually there are more REs in this WEB site than FEs!!! it's incredible!
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: 11cookeaw1 on October 23, 2013, 01:23:04 AM
And they still can't answer it.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: 11cookeaw1 on November 02, 2013, 04:05:01 AM
So can any FE'er answer this, I guess not.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Son of Orospu on November 02, 2013, 04:22:22 AM
11cookeaw1, low contents posting and bumping a thread with out adding to it are both against the rules.  Consider this a warning. 
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: alfa156melb on February 20, 2014, 04:28:38 PM
Are you actually experimenting? Data? What is this? Are you lost? This is the Flat Earth Society, you utterly foolish noob! Do you not know that data is not welcome here?

Be GONE!!! >o<

Actually there are more REs in this WEB site than FEs!!! it's incredible!

Giddy up!  That's the very frist thing you've ever posted that might actually be true!!!  Be proud of yourself!!!  8)

As far as REers go (if you have to label us) is that we come here for entertainment. much like going to the zoo to look at the animals.

Why are you here?
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Starman on February 22, 2014, 06:42:05 PM
Are you actually experimenting? Data? What is this? Are you lost? This is the Flat Earth Society, you utterly foolish noob! Do you not know that data is not welcome here?

Be GONE!!! >o<

Actually there are more REs in this WEB site than FEs!!! it's incredible!

That is because RE people know the real world is something you can not only see but measure. FE people are mostly about theory. All bark and no bite.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Son of Orospu on February 22, 2014, 08:06:56 PM
Yes, and I am sure that you go around all day measuring the "real world", right?  ::)
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on February 22, 2014, 08:35:51 PM
Yes, and I am sure that you go around all day measuring the "real world", right?  ::)

Have you tried this experiment yet jroa? I did. I also gave the results and what they should have been for a flat earth.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Son of Orospu on February 22, 2014, 08:41:06 PM
Did you take into account any possibility of atmospheric distortion? 
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Scintific Method on February 22, 2014, 09:05:31 PM
Did you take into account any possibility of atmospheric distortion?

Yes. On the day the measurements were taken, atmospheric conditions should have made the mountain appear slightly taller than it is, which would have given it an apparent height greater than the FE expectations if the earth were flat. The fact that the actual measurements were still so far from FE expectations favours a round earth.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: alfa156melb on February 22, 2014, 11:55:00 PM
Yes, and I am sure that you go around all day measuring the "real world", right?  ::)

The thing is, you're the wackos that are claiming that all of science is a conspiracy, that NASA lie to us, that all the photos taken of the earth are fake and that satellites don't exist.  YOU are the ones who should be measuring things to support your idiot cause.

Mocking someone who lives in the real world who is prepared to back up their statements through actual measurement is exactly what we might expect from you, but not the sort of thing that advances your backward cause.  And certainly not a great way to convince anyone to swap sides.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Kebab on March 03, 2014, 03:24:39 AM
This thread is fantastic. The pure lack of actual input and attention from FE proponents has me thinking they have given up :)
Does this mean we win?

On a sidenote, a while back I calculated the height of occlusion from a curving horizon to be 1 meter per 7,3 km of distance. Calculated as the height of a chorde (entirely theoretical).
It's a nice number to remember.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Starman on March 03, 2014, 03:47:13 AM
This thread is fantastic. The pure lack of actual input and attention from FE proponents has me thinking they have given up :)
Does this mean we win?

On a sidenote, a while back I calculated the height of occlusion from a curving horizon to be 1 meter per 7,3 km of distance. Calculated as the height of a chorde (entirely theoretical).
It's a nice number to remember.

They can't understand any of that. Remember to them, looking at the horizon at the beach is proof enough the world is flat. They can't understand that the world is so big you could not see the curve of the earth at ground level. It is like they have their eye stuck on the large beach ball.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: sceptimatic on March 03, 2014, 04:53:17 AM
This thread is fantastic. The pure lack of actual input and attention from FE proponents has me thinking they have given up :)
Does this mean we win?

On a sidenote, a while back I calculated the height of occlusion from a curving horizon to be 1 meter per 7,3 km of distance. Calculated as the height of a chorde (entirely theoretical).
It's a nice number to remember.
Win what? As far as you are all concerned there was nothing TO win. I mean, 'you know'... and all your global Earth friends know that your Earth is a globe, 100% don't you? If that's the case;  why are you even jumping up and down patting other on the back and saying flat Earth has lost and you have won? Won what exactly?

Someone measures a mountain and bang, the Earth is a globe? This is the stuff that you people rely on and yet you have books that could build a sky scraper on why your Earth is a globe...but no...here we are looking at someone who's decided that those books are not enough and he's measured a mountain just to rubber stamp it all.
What next?
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: sceptimatic on March 03, 2014, 04:59:12 AM
This thread is fantastic. The pure lack of actual input and attention from FE proponents has me thinking they have given up :)
Does this mean we win?

On a sidenote, a while back I calculated the height of occlusion from a curving horizon to be 1 meter per 7,3 km of distance. Calculated as the height of a chorde (entirely theoretical).
It's a nice number to remember.

They can't understand any of that. Remember to them, looking at the horizon at the beach is proof enough the world is flat. They can't understand that the world is so big you could not see the curve of the earth at ground level. It is like they have their eye stuck on the large beach ball.
It appears that you also can't understand how big the Earth is, because time and time again I keep seeing many of you putting up stuff like, "look, there's a plane and you can see that the Earth is a globe." Then you use the vanishing act of a ship going down the globe.
It's as if you really believe that the globe you believe you stand on is actually just a reasonable large ball and things just disappear over the curve because your eyes are super human and you can see this is true, when a telescope easily disproves your own eyes.
Of course, you people will never admit this. But like you all mention from time to time, when things don't go your way. You people say " oh we are just here for the fun of it, to watch the zoo animals hang onto a flat Earth whilst we laugh at them." Yeah, ok. ;D
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Starman on March 03, 2014, 05:04:16 AM
This thread is fantastic. The pure lack of actual input and attention from FE proponents has me thinking they have given up :)
Does this mean we win?

On a sidenote, a while back I calculated the height of occlusion from a curving horizon to be 1 meter per 7,3 km of distance. Calculated as the height of a chorde (entirely theoretical).
It's a nice number to remember.

They can't understand any of that. Remember to them, looking at the horizon at the beach is proof enough the world is flat. They can't understand that the world is so big you could not see the curve of the earth at ground level. It is like they have their eye stuck on the large beach ball.
It appears that you also can't understand how big the Earth is, because time and time again I keep seeing many of you putting up stuff like, "look, there's a plane and you can see that the Earth is a globe." Then you use the vanishing act of a ship going down the globe.
It's as if you really believe that the globe you believe you stand on is actually just a reasonable large ball and things just disappear over the curve because your eyes are super human and you can see this is true, when a telescope easily disproves your own eyes.
Of course, you people will never admit this. But like you all mention from time to time, when things don't go your way. You people say " oh we are just here for the fun of it, to watch the zoo animals hang onto a flat Earth whilst we laugh at them." Yeah, ok. ;D
You will not see the bottom of a ship over the horizon with a telescope. If that were true you would see ships that you could not see at all.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Son of Orospu on March 03, 2014, 05:11:06 AM
We even had a "pilot" here just the other day who claimed that he can see the curvature of the Earth from cruising altitude, even though every other pilot on Earth says you can not.  He then went on to say that you can even see the curvature of the Earth from the beach.  ::) I hope I never fly with him at the wheel. 
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Starman on March 03, 2014, 05:32:36 AM
We even had a "pilot" here just the other day who claimed that he can see the curvature of the Earth from cruising altitude, even though every other pilot on Earth says you can not.  He then went on to say that you can even see the curvature of the Earth from the beach.  ::) I hope I never fly with him at the wheel.
One pilot does not make his claim true. The X-15 pilot can make that claim.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Son of Orospu on March 03, 2014, 05:42:29 AM
Yes, and I am sure that no pilot has ever been caught in a lie, right?  ??? 
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Starman on March 03, 2014, 05:45:30 AM
Yes, and I am sure that no pilot has ever been caught in a lie, right?  ???
True but one pilot does represent all the pilots.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Son of Orospu on March 03, 2014, 05:55:41 AM
Yes, all of the rest say it is BS that you can see the curvature of the Earth. 
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: Sculelos on March 03, 2014, 07:51:14 AM
Yes, all of the rest say it is BS that you can see the curvature of the Earth.

I can see the curve, but it definitely curves upward no doubt about it.
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: ausGeoff on March 03, 2014, 04:51:20 PM
You've yet to show me any indication that you understand Rowbotham's perspective, so forgive my skepticism.

I really think it's time that the flat earth fraternity dismissed Rowbotham's "theories" from 150 years ago as their sole source of "evidence", and concentrated a little more on current scientific theories established by people who haven't been dead for more than a century, and who also hold accredited academic qualifications in the various fields of science such as geophysics and astrophysics.  Rowbotham held no academic qualifications of any sort, and was totally unequipped to make the calculated guesses he did with his Bedford Level "experiments". 

The only reason a handful of people accepted his experimental "results" was that in the mid-19th century, the wider population had virtually no scientific knowledge to draw upon.  Very few children attended school beyond the age of 14 years—if they were lucky—and their parents were schooled in the early 1800s when contemporary science was in its infancy.  So anything that was backed up with fancy illustrations and big words and glib explanations was swallowed whole without question in most cases.

Today, Rowbotham is considered by the scientific establishment to be nothing more than a curiosity of the period.  He actually added not one iota of knowledge to the current scientific magnum opus.
 
Title: Re: Test the Earth's shape: Measure a mountain!
Post by: charles bloomington on March 08, 2014, 07:37:26 AM
You've yet to show me any indication that you understand Rowbotham's perspective, so forgive my skepticism.

I really think it's time that the flat earth fraternity dismissed Rowbotham's "theories" from 150 years ago as their sole source of "evidence", and concentrated a little more on current scientific theories established by people who haven't been dead for more than a century, and who also hold accredited academic qualifications in the various fields of science such as geophysics and astrophysics.  Rowbotham held no academic qualifications of any sort, and was totally unequipped to make the calculated guesses he did with his Bedford Level "experiments". 

The only reason a handful of people accepted his experimental "results" was that in the mid-19th century, the wider population had virtually no scientific knowledge to draw upon.  Very few children attended school beyond the age of 14 years—if they were lucky—and their parents were schooled in the early 1800s when contemporary science was in its infancy.  So anything that was backed up with fancy illustrations and big words and glib explanations was swallowed whole without question in most cases.

Today, Rowbotham is considered by the scientific establishment to be nothing more than a curiosity of the period.  He actually added not one iota of knowledge to the current scientific magnum opus

accredited academic qualifications in the various fields of science such as geophysics and astrophysics. Well the astrophysicists have fallen in to a black hole. So should we keep  following the same  flawed theory or go with what can be proved & demonstrated as being  fact?       


Edited to fix quote tree.  jroa