Google Earth: Proof The Earth Is Round

Visit http://www.earth.google.com and download Google's free program. Now zoom in on where you live. How could that be accomplished without satelittes?

If you can give me a valid, logical explanation, kudos to you.






"Why does "common sense" tell us the world is flat?

There is overwhelming evidence that the Earth is round. Why then do we perceive it as flat? The answer is that the Earth's diameter is several million times larger than the height of an average human. While standing on the ground or even in a tall building, we're unable to see the curvature of the Earth's surface because it is so gradual from our perspective. That's why we must go to very high altitudes, and even space, before we can tell that our planet is spherical. Think of placing an ant on an orange. The ant, if it were intelligent, would certainly notice that its world was curved. Now place the ant on a giant beach ball. It could probably tell it occupied a curved world, but it would be somewhat harder for it to tell. Finally, place the same ant on the roof of the SkyDome (when its closed). The ant would now not be able to tell its world was curved at all; it would seem like its world was flat, yet we know differently. The same principle applies to us. Like the ant, the ball on which we live is much too large for us to detect its curvature."

--http://resources.yesican-science.ca/lpdd/g06/lp/unit2.html

They will just say "Government conspiracy"  They make up things that are completely devoid of logic to explain away even the most elementary of scientific truths and the things they can't explain they just say "Government conspiracy"

I won't say government conspiracy.  I will, however, suggest that arial photography and computer graphics can replicate what you see in Google Earth.

So this entire thing is one huge elaborate scheme to protect a secret for no reason?

So this entire thing is one huge elaborate scheme to protect a secret for no reason?

So you're saying that everybody who has ever kept a secret from you was kind enough to tell you why?

FEism isn't a story written by the people on this website.  We don't know what all the characters are thinking.  Why do REers think it's such a big deal that we don't know the purpose of the conspiracy?

Quote from: "Ubuntu"

So this entire thing is one huge elaborate scheme to protect a secret for no reason?

So you're saying that everybody who has ever kept a secret from you was kind enough to tell you why?

FEism isn't a story written by the people on this website.  We don't know what all the characters are thinking.  Why do REers think it's such a big deal that we don't know the purpose of the conspiracy?

Because every scientific theory ever has stated the why. Without a why, it isn't a theory. If part of the FE theory is that there is a government conspiracy, then you need to provide a why for it to qualify as a theory (even a flimsy one).

It's a big deal because it seems like a lot of trouble for someone to...


a) make fake satelittes that don't really orbit the Earth

b) make fake space programs that somehow don't go into space

c) start wars (so I've heard) to protect the secret

d) fake satelitte radio, TV, and Internet

e) create fake photos and videos from space and other planets

f) brainwash everyone so when they look through their telescopes the other planets are round and the moon is round

g) fake GPS technology

h) brainwash anyone who's ever been to the North or South Pole

i) keep all the scientists and astronomers, millions worldwide, from telling everyone the truth

j) comprise thousands of photos from helicopters

k) brainwash everyone so that when you look across the ocean from high up they can't see a minute curve

l) trick the creator of the movie 'Spin' or create it themselves

m) organize a global secret-keeping pact without a single leak

n) manufacture millions of globes for centuries

o) fake day and night and the rise and set of the Sun

p) fake rocks brought back from the moon

q) fake global warming and the ozone layer and atmosphere

r) trick people into thinking they can fly and sail around the world

s) prevent anyone on Earth from seeing the edge of the planet and destroying every single historical record from the history of humanity of this happening

t) invent ideas such as "physics" and "gravity" for the conspiracy

u) create some sort of massive machine that changes the entire physicality of the planet so that objects thrown West with the same force as object thrown East will go farther (because of the Earth's rotation)

v) make sure thousands of people who sail chips and fly planes never see the edge of the Earth or at least make them never talk about it

w) blockevery single media outlet (except this and one other website) and indepent scientific study on the planet that says that the Earth is flat

x) fake the return of every single spacecraft to Earth

y) fake the deaths of the astronauts who have died

z) fake historical records of anyone who has sailed or flown around the world

a-1) fake pictures of the Sun and estimates for its distance from Earth and fake its size, heat, and make-up

a-2) inventing modern meterology and every single weather forcast with satelitte images

a-3) fake every map of the world and find no disputes from anyone in the world

a-4) fool all military into believing long range weapons can account for the curve of the Earth

a-5) fake our models and understanding of the solar system

a-6) fake NASA and everything they have accomplished (like this for example: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/0206mapresults.html)

a-7) invent everything that has to do with the origin of the Earth (all of this information for example: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3111_origins.html)

a-8) fake the effects of pendulum experiments that prove the Earth is turning (I have seen one of these working myself)

a-9) force into silence, trick, or brainwash the few tourists have gone into space

a-10) fake the study of how birds fly

a-11) massively falsely educate everyone

a-12) fake or brainwash everyone into seeing the slightly curved effect of the sky and clouds when the clouds are light is right

a-13) fake the way we look at stars especially from different spots on the globe, with the naked eye and our own telescopes (different positions on the globe, different angles, different stars)

a-14) make sure thousands of scientists and astronomers lie to their families every day

a-15) fake the rockets that go around the world (such as the one filled with cremated remains)

a-16) fake hot air balloon flights

a-17) fake asteroid impacts and predicted asteroid impacts

a-18) fake everything we know and practice about the Sun's rays such as UV protection

a-19) fake eclipses and solstices and equanoxes (and all this information http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html)


...without any imaginable reason. I am still trying to think of why exactly the world's governments would do this, pretending it is possible.

Quote from: "Erasmus"

Quote from: "Ubuntu"

So this entire thing is one huge elaborate scheme to protect a secret for no reason?

So you're saying that everybody who has ever kept a secret from you was kind enough to tell you why?

FEism isn't a story written by the people on this website.  We don't know what all the characters are thinking.  Why do REers think it's such a big deal that we don't know the purpose of the conspiracy?

Because every scientific theory ever has stated the why. Without a why, it isn't a theory. If part of the FE theory is that there is a government conspiracy, then you need to provide a why for it to qualify as a theory (even a flimsy one).

Quantum Physics is centered around the superposition of states, the wave function, and the duality of matter. Yet even after 50 odd years, scientists cannot explain why particles act like waves sometimes and matter other times. They don't know why.

This is true, but this is not a theory. This is a scientific fact that has been proven in a lab. Obviously you can't prove that the earth is round or flat in a lab, so you have to test the traits that a round or flat earth would display in a lab. Anything that is not provable in a lab and has sufficient lab-provable evidence, but not absolutely determinate evidence, is considered a theory. And all theories must display a why. If it is not provable in a lab, and there is no reason why it would happen, then there's not much ground to it is there? A government conspiracy cannot be proven in a lab, and as you have no "why", your "theory" does not have much ground in scientific fact now does it?

I won't say government conspiracy.  I will, however, suggest that arial photography and computer graphics can replicate what you see in Google Earth.

They would have to take pictures of every square foot of Earth. And considering there are tribes who have never seen a camera, let alone a plane flying overheard taking pictures, that doesn't sound plausible.

The close-up photos are real. I googled my old house and saw my car parked in the driveway. Obviously an old photo, but definitely not faked.

Also, how do you explain the sattelites that can be seen with a regular telescope? Orbiting slowly around the Earth?

And what causes the orbit of the sun and moon? And what are they made of? If the moon isn't a moon, and the sun isn't a star, what are they? And by that, I mean a more specific definition of "spotlight"... like... what kind? Mechanical with bulbs and wires?

It's a big deal because it seems like a lot of trouble for someone to...


a) make fake satelittes that don't really orbit the Earth

b) make fake space programs that somehow don't go into space

c) start wars (so I've heard) to protect the secret

d) fake satelitte radio, TV, and Internet

e) create fake photos and videos from space and other planets

f) brainwash everyone so when they look through their telescopes the other planets are round and the moon is round

g) fake GPS technology

h) brainwash anyone who's ever been to the North or South Pole

i) keep all the scientists and astronomers, millions worldwide, from telling everyone the truth

j) comprise thousands of photos from helicopters

k) brainwash everyone so that when you look across the ocean from high up they can't see a minute curve

l) trick the creator of the movie 'Spin' or create it themselves

m) organize a global secret-keeping pact without a single leak

n) manufacture millions of globes for centuries

o) fake day and night and the rise and set of the Sun

p) fake rocks brought back from the moon

q) fake global warming and the ozone layer and atmosphere

r) trick people into thinking they can fly and sail around the world

s) prevent anyone on Earth from seeing the edge of the planet and destroying every single historical record from the history of humanity of this happening

t) invent ideas such as "physics" and "gravity" for the conspiracy

u) create some sort of massive machine that changes the entire physicality of the planet so that objects thrown West with the same force as object thrown East will go farther (because of the Earth's rotation)

v) make sure thousands of people who sail chips and fly planes never see the edge of the Earth or at least make them never talk about it

w) blockevery single media outlet (except this and one other website) and indepent scientific study on the planet that says that the Earth is flat

x) fake the return of every single spacecraft to Earth

y) fake the deaths of the astronauts who have died

z) fake historical records of anyone who has sailed or flown around the world

a-1) fake pictures of the Sun and estimates for its distance from Earth and fake its size, heat, and make-up

a-2) inventing modern meterology and every single weather forcast with satelitte images

a-3) fake every map of the world and find no disputes from anyone in the world

a-4) fool all military into believing long range weapons can account for the curve of the Earth

a-5) fake our models and understanding of the solar system

a-6) fake NASA and everything they have accomplished (like this for example: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/0206mapresults.html)

a-7) invent everything that has to do with the origin of the Earth (all of this information for example: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3111_origins.html)

a-8) fake the effects of pendulum experiments that prove the Earth is turning (I have seen one of these working myself)

a-9) force into silence, trick, or brainwash the few tourists have gone into space

a-10) fake the study of how birds fly

a-11) massively falsely educate everyone

a-12) fake or brainwash everyone into seeing the slightly curved effect of the sky and clouds when the clouds are light is right

a-13) fake the way we look at stars especially from different spots on the globe, with the naked eye and our own telescopes (different positions on the globe, different angles, different stars)

a-14) make sure thousands of scientists and astronomers lie to their families every day

a-15) fake the rockets that go around the world (such as the one filled with cremated remains)

a-16) fake hot air balloon flights

a-17) fake asteroid impacts and predicted asteroid impacts

a-18) fake everything we know and practice about the Sun's rays such as UV protection

a-19) fake eclipses and solstices and equanoxes (and all this information http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html)


...without any imaginable reason. I am still trying to think of why exactly the world's governments would do this, pretending it is possible.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

I believe the proper term is: Pwn3d! But indeed, they did just get owned. Of couse, they won't admit it, but we all know that they're defeated.

They would have to take pictures of every square foot of Earth. And considering there are tribes who have never seen a camera, let alone a plane flying overheard taking pictures, that doesn't sound plausible.

Um, if it's satellites, then the satellites also have to take pictures of every square foot of the Earth.

And, I've never used Google Earth, but I know that quite often on Google Maps it tells me that it has no satellite imagery for such-and-such a region at such-and-such a zoom level, so it wouldn't have to be every square foot of the Earth.

As for the tribes: how do you know what the tribes have and have not seen?  Where are these tribes that have never seen airplanes fly overhead?  Are you also counting high-altitude airplanes, that are difficult to see and impossible to hear from the ground?

Thanks for listing all the things that would have to be faked.  I don't really see, however, how that's an answer to the question, "How can you demand that we know the motivation?"

As for this "scientific theories tell us why" nonsense, just drop it now.  You obviously have no idea what is meant by "theory" in the realm of science.  Quantum Theory is a theory, as are the Theories of Relativity and Electromagnetism.  Scientists do not burden themselves with claims of facthood.

If you want a good example of something that is not a scientific theory and thus is not bound by the standards of scientific theories, consider this ridiculous question of "Why would the government lie about the flat Earth?"  There is nothing scientific or theoretical about that question.  It is a purely social, political, and military matter.

The question, "Why is it a problem that we don't know the motivation?" stands unanswered.

The question, "Why is it a problem that we don't know the motivation?" stands unanswered.

As noted, there is a lot of effort, time, and money spent preserving the round earth idea.  It stands to reason that there must be a motive for such a momumental investment.  And nobody denies this, there has to be a motive, otherwise it is irrational.  So we need to apply a bit more reasoning.

Many people claim there is a conspiracy to keep evolution as a dominate idea in science for the purposes of fame and tenture.  So fame and greed are logical motives.

Governments are also observed to hide information from their people for purposes of national security, to cover up sinister things they are doing, and greed.  Since this is a global conspiracy, national security is not a logical motive.  Let's examine sinister actions as a motive.  Generally, it is done to prevent the people from knowing about abuses against the people (to prevent social unrest.)  This doesn't strike me as a logical motive as the shape of the Earth won't lead to social unrest, nor will it give the people an advantage over the government.  Greed is the logical motive in this group.

When a person commits a crime, they will attempt to cover up their actions so as to avoid punishment.  This is an illogical motive for powerful world governments, however it leads us to perhaps another logical motive.  A contradiction of the government could embarass it and lead to a weakening of power.  But power can be tied in to greed.

So we must ask ourselves two questions at this juncture: Is a contradiction of the shape of the Earth enough to weaken a global government?  Given their ability to conceal it, the logical answer is no.  So we are left with the other option concieved of in this brain storm: greed.  Who stands to profit from a round earth?  The logical answer here is there is no profit in a round earth, except for globe companies and guys pressing their outdoor gear after "visiting Antarctica."

Nobody disagrees that there must be motive.  All conspiracies have a goal and that goal has motive.  So the problem is: lacking a rational motive, it leaves open the possibility that our premise may be false.  And we won't be able to dismiss this possibility until there is a rational logic chain connecting conspiracy to motive.

So the problem is: lacking a rational motive, it leaves open the possibility that our premise may be false.

Even with a rational motive, there is still that possibility.  And any suggestions (many have been made in earnest, and subsequently ignored) brought up can never be more than speculation.

Quote from: "EnCrypto"

They would have to take pictures of every square foot of Earth. And considering there are tribes who have never seen a camera, let alone a plane flying overheard taking pictures, that doesn't sound plausible.

Um, if it's satellites, then the satellites also have to take pictures of every square foot of the Earth.

And, I've never used Google Earth, but I know that quite often on Google Maps it tells me that it has no satellite imagery for such-and-such a region at such-and-such a zoom level, so it wouldn't have to be every square foot of the Earth.

As for the tribes: how do you know what the tribes have and have not seen?  Where are these tribes that have never seen airplanes fly overhead?  Are you also counting high-altitude airplanes, that are difficult to see and impossible to hear from the ground?

Using the Google Earth program you can zoom in on individual people standing in the streets. There are blurry and you can't really see much of their appearance, but you can tell where people are situated. The same is for cars on the street.

While it would be expensive and difficult for aircraft to fly everywhere around the world, a satelitte orbits and can take many photos from different angles from a large distance, making it easy to cover a lot of the Earth's surface quickly.

While it would be expensive and difficult for aircraft to fly everywhere around the world, a satelitte orbits and can take many photos from different angles from a large distance, making it easy to cover a lot of the Earth's surface quickly.

Sure, satellites could do it, but it's expensive and difficult to put satellites into space, whereas there are already airplanes flying all over the place.

Quote from: "Ubuntu"

While it would be expensive and difficult for aircraft to fly everywhere around the world, a satelitte orbits and can take many photos from different angles from a large distance, making it easy to cover a lot of the Earth's surface quickly.

Sure, satellites could do it, but it's expensive and difficult to put satellites into space, whereas there are already airplanes flying all over the place.

The total cost for mapping the Earth with satelittes is much lower than sending planes to cover every spot on the Earth's surface. It's a few million dollars to put a satelitte into orbit. How much would only the fuel cost for airplanes (think of their size) to fly over every square mile of the Earth to take photographs?

How much would only the fuel cost for airplanes (think of their size) to fly over every square mile of the Earth to take photographs?

Or you know they could just add cameras to existing airplanes that would be flying around anyway, and also use the millions of photographs which are taken anyway by spyplanes.  Extraneous cost so far -- zero.

So I finally got a broadband connection last Sunday (yay!) so of course the first thing I had to play with is Google Earth.  Very cool, I must say, and while it shows my backyard as well, it doesn't really show the remoter areas of Siberia or some islands in the South Pacific to as great a level of detail.  So I'm not really worried about your "tribes" thing -- Google Earth isn't complete.  I wasn't worried about it before because the notion that there might be tribes whose villages never ever ever get overpassed by transoceanic flights is kinda farfetched, but now I'm really not worried.

Even with a rational motive, there is still that possibility.

A rational motive makes it much more difficult to logically dismiss the premise.

Quote

Even with a rational motive, there is still that possibility.

A rational motive makes it much more difficult to logically dismiss the premise.

At least you're honest. At least you're willing to say that until a motive has been discovered, that your premise might be false. I congratualate you, for you are the first FE'er that I have seen do this. Well done.