Conducting Rowbotham Experiment

Yet another REer who doesn't even understand the basics fo the Round Earth Theory.

I concur that this is an excellent experiment - as far as I'm aware it should work. I haven't performed this exact same experiment but I have done similar experiments on a smaller scale which have conclusively demonstrated the earth to be flat.

I can't wait until you try this for yourself so that you can finally have your eyes opened. I may make a suggestion though, it is probably best that you stick to something simple as using a telescope to reveal the "sunken" part of a ship. This way you don't have to rely on maps that are obviously distorted to fit in with Round Earth Theory.

At what distance?...and did you aim your laser to get the dsired results?...or was the beam absolutely level?

Yet another REer who doesn't even understand the basics fo the Round Earth Theory.

Oh but I do. And I dont have to say something is a conspiracy to prove it.
Pictures from space show a round Earth.

May of our technologies, such as GPS, ICBM missiles, spacecraft, would not work if the Earth was not round.

The sunken ship theorem...ok...after 6 miles...telescope or no, does this not work any more.  And being on the boat...as I get farther from shore...with a scope...does the land sink?

The sunken ship theorem...ok...after 6 miles...telescope or no, does this not work any more.  And being on the boat...as I get farther from shore...with a scope...does the land sink?

The land does appear to sink but by looking through a telescope you can see it "magically" reappear. This is not consistent with the round earth model.

The land does appear to sink but by looking through a telescope you can see it "magically" reappear. This is not consistent with the round earth model.
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If you are at the 5 mile point, you are correct...but as you go farther from shore, say 6 miles and beyond, it sinks again...been there done that.  With or without a telescope...of any power...there should be no sinking at all if the FE theory were correct...

Oh but I do.

You really, really don't. If the round earth model is correct then the distance needed for things to be obscured by the curve of the earth is not that great. If you were standing at the sea with your eyes 2m above see level the horizon is only c5km away.

And I dont have to say something is a conspiracy to prove it.

The conspiracy doesn't prove anything.

It is a hypothesis that explains various phenomena - it may be correct it might be incorrect. It is falsifiable and makes predictions.

Pictures from space show a round Earth.

Certainly and these are explained in both theories. Unless they can be demonstrated to be genuine or faked then they don't give any weight to either theory.

May of our technologies, such as GPS, ICBM missiles, spacecraft, would not work if the Earth was not round.

Assuming they are working in the way you were lead to believe.

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Stabler12, if a large ship is almost completely obscured "by the horizon" how is it possible to see the whole ship again simply by looking at it through a telescope? I have done this many times and it should not be possible on a round earth.

Stabler12, if a large ship is almost completely obscured "by the horizon" how is it possible to see the whole ship again simply by looking at it through a telescope? I have done this many times and it should not be possible on a round earth.
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Not obscured...but there is a bit of fuzz when seen through the lens of a telescope...after all you are aiding the naked eye to see the 5 mile limit. But as the ship moves farther off, it dips below the horizon.  I have not seen you deny that it eventually does disappear...this should not be possible on a flat earth.

Not obscured...but there is a bit of fuzz when seen through the lens of a telescope...after all you are aiding the naked eye to see the 5 mile limit. But as the ship moves farther off, it dips below the horizon.  I have not seen you deny that it eventually does disappear...this should not be possible on a flat earth.

Of course I'm not denying it disapears - that's my whole point. Then with a telescope you can see it again which is not possible with a round earth. It's not that hard to comprehend, you watch a ship go "over" the horizon you look through a telescope and there it is - nothing fuzzy about it. Go ahead and try it sometime.

And yes a ship would disapear on a flat earth for two reasons: perspective and also the atmosphere is not completely transparent.

Quote from: Stabler12 on August 15, 2008, 05:23:38 AM

Not obscured...but there is a bit of fuzz when seen through the lens of a telescope...after all you are aiding the naked eye to see the 5 mile limit. But as the ship moves farther off, it dips below the horizon.  I have not seen you deny that it eventually does disappear...this should not be possible on a flat earth.

Of course I'm not denying it disapears - that's my whole point. Then with a telescope you can see it again which is not possible with a round earth. It's not that hard to comprehend, you watch a ship go "over" the horizon you look through a telescope and there it is - nothing fuzzy about it. Go ahead and try it sometime.

And yes a ship would disapear on a flat earth for two reasons: perspective and also the atmosphere is not completely transparent.

Becaue light bends and through a telescope not only is more light gathered, its magnified.
The magnification of a view through a telescope can easily be calculated by  focal length of the telescope / focal legnth of the eye peice you are looking through. It takes the incoming light, and magnifies it by that amount.

Becaue light bends and through a telescope not only is more light gathered, its magnified.
The magnification of a view through a telescope can easily be calculated by  focal length of the telescope / focal legnth of the eye peice you are looking through. It takes the incoming light, and magnifies it by that amount.

Yet again, if the light was bending enough over the horizon that you could see it through a telescope then you could also see it with your eye. It would not be as detailed but the basic outline would be the same - you would not go from something completely obscured to something completely visible just by looking through a telescope.

Yet again, if the light was bending enough over the horizon that you could see it through a telescope then you could also see it with your eye. It would not be as detailed but the basic outline would be the same - you would not go from something completely obscured to something completely visible just by looking through a telescope.

 Never said completely visible...the view is fuzzy.  As you say...try it sometime...I've observed the phenomenon on both sides.  Transparency of the atmosphere is a convenient excuse...I've stood on the beach at Newport on a day where it was clear enough to make out geographical features on Catalina Island with the naked eye.  Roads and lights with a telescope.  Yet unless I gained about 185 feet of altitude I can't see the lights of Avalon...something I should be able to do on a flat earth.

As an aside, if you want to calculate how far away your target is then just measure it with a ruler - you can work out the distance from trigonometry if your telescope can accurately record rotation (which it looks like it should be able to). I've done this myself, albeit only as a test over about 10 feet, so you may need a fairly large target - say a couple of sticks stuck vertically in the ground a few metres apart?  This should give you accurate distance information based solely on line of sight.  Of course you could always just use a laser ranger (pretty cheap these days) - personally I'd use both methods and compare the results.

Good luck with the re-run when you have a camera working!

Never said completely visible...the view is fuzzy.  As you say...try it sometime...I've observed the phenomenon on both sides.  Transparency of the atmosphere is a convenient excuse...I've stood on the beach at Newport on a day where it was clear enough to make out geographical features on Catalina Island with the naked eye.  Roads and lights with a telescope.  Yet unless I gained about 185 feet of altitude I can't see the lights of Avalon...something I should be able to do on a flat earth.

I'm sorry if I'm scepitical of what you say because I have had completely different results. Of course if you aren't lying then I'm sure that would convince you of a round earth and I would be left asking... why come onto a flat earth forum? Wouldn't you be better able to share your round earth experiences with fellow REers who have had similar experiences?

Personally, I think you're just lying. I fail to see how the earth can be flat where I am and round where you are.

I'm sorry if I'm scepitical of what you say because I have had completely different results. Of course if you aren't lying then I'm sure that would convince you of a round earth and I would be left asking... why come onto a flat earth forum? Wouldn't you be better able to share your round earth experiences with fellow REers who have had similar experiences?

Personally, I think you're just lying. I fail to see how the earth can be flat where I am and round where you are.
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I came for an enjoyable debate, and the possibility of opening my mind.  being called a liar is not conducive to such an exercise.  That you think the earth is flat in your neck of the woods is not going to change.  that i know the earth is round in mine wont either, but it is interesting to talk about both sides.  as the forum intro page says...skeptics and believers welcome.

Perhaps the earth is a dome.

perhaps it is...but then, whats under it?  Besides...that question defeats the purpose of the flat earth theory...but it is interesting to see all of the different threads.