Why is a round earth so hard to believe?

Hi all, as you can probably guess I'm new to this forum. I was linked her off another forum and I decided to try and approach your ideas with an open mind, after all the idea of a flat earth is quite cool. I've read your FAQ and other areas outlining your theory. You've certainly put more work and time into putting together a reasoned argument than most controversial theories I've seen so far.
My only question as of now is this: Why is a round earth so hard to believe?
Think about how hard it would be for the governments to hide such a staggering fact? What do they stand to gain, what reason do they have? From what I've seen there is no solid proof of your theory. There are only assumptions and mathematics and observations. Just...why couldn't the world be round? Surely with all the pictures and experiments and airlines it is far easier to accept that it is real and move on. Poke beneath the surface and there are so many holes in your argument that I could spend all day listing them.
One last thing: Virgin Galactic. When that opens, ordinary people like you and I will be able to travel into the upper atmosphere and see for ourselves that the world is round. Surely if this whole thing was a 'conspiracy' then the government would not permit such a venture.
I can tell that you will call me blind and foolish. You'll probably shake your heads and smile sympathetically like I'm mentally retarded. I know because I've done the same when confronted with people who I know are wrong. I'd hope that at least some of you will wake up and realize how ridiculous this idea is.

From what I've seen there is no solid proof of your theory. There are only assumptions and mathematics and observations.

And this is distinguished from your theory how?

Well, there are all the actual photos of a round earth for a start. There's the horizon which you can see for yourself when you stand on a beach. There's the fact you can see the world curving when you go on a plane. That enough for you?

From what I've seen there is no solid proof of your theory. There are only assumptions and false mathematics and observations.

Fixed

Well, there are all the actual photos of a round earth for a start. There's the horizon which you can see for yourself when you stand on a beach. There's the fact you can see the world curving when you go on a plane. That enough for you?

There are more actual photos of the earth depicting it flat than round. The ones that show it as round come from a dubious source. The horizon is present no matter what shape the earth is. You cannot see the world curving from an airplane.

Care to link me to these copious sources that say the Earth is flat AND prove that they are less biased than the ones that say it is round? Also, please explain how the horizon is present on any shaped earth seeing as it is caused by the earth curvature.

Care to link me to these copious sources that say the Earth is flat AND prove that they are less biased than the ones that say it is round? Also, please explain how the horizon is present on any shaped earth seeing as it is caused by the earth curvature.

The horizon is a perspective effect. I suggest an art class.

you should see Robotham's version of "perspective", which Tom Bishop loves to quote verbatim: it's totally different from ANYTHING you've ever read!

Quote from: Cheesesack on May 04, 2008, 12:38:13 PM

Care to link me to these copious sources that say the Earth is flat AND prove that they are less biased than the ones that say it is round? Also, please explain how the horizon is present on any shaped earth seeing as it is caused by the earth curvature.

The horizon is a perspective effect. I suggest an art class.

I know about perspective. The point is, if you see a really big thing going over the horizon, it slowly sinks out of view, meaning that the bottom disappears 'over' the horizon but the top is still visible. If it was simply perspective, the object would just get smaller and smaller until it disappeared from view by the naked eye.

Well, there are all the actual photos of a round earth for a start.

So, if I show you photos of leprechauns, you'll believe them? 

There's the horizon which you can see for yourself when you stand on a beach.

"In many contexts, especially perspective drawing, the curvature of the earth is typically disregarded and the horizon is considered the theoretical line to which points on any horizontal plane converge (when projected onto the picture plane) as their distance from the observer increases. Note that, for observers near the ground, the difference between this geometrical horizon (which assumes a perfectly flat, infinite ground plane) and the true horizon (which assumes a spherical Earth surface) is typically imperceptibly small, because of the relative size of the observer. That is, if the Earth were truly flat, there would still be a visible horizon line, and, to ground based viewers, its position and appearance would not be significantly different from what we see on our curved Earth."

There's the fact you can see the world curving when you go on a plane. That enough for you?

This "fact" is debatable by all who have been on a plane. Plus, appearance of curvature doesn't mean it's reality. If you need examples, I can provide them.

Quote from: Cheesesack on May 04, 2008, 12:21:23 PM

Well, there are all the actual photos of a round earth for a start.

So, if I show you photos of leprechauns, you'll believe them? 

Quote from: Cheesesack on May 04, 2008, 12:21:23 PM

There's the horizon which you can see for yourself when you stand on a beach.

"In many contexts, especially perspective drawing, the curvature of the earth is typically disregarded and the horizon is considered the theoretical line to which points on any horizontal plane converge (when projected onto the picture plane) as their distance from the observer increases. Note that, for observers near the ground, the difference between this geometrical horizon (which assumes a perfectly flat, infinite ground plane) and the true horizon (which assumes a spherical Earth surface) is typically imperceptibly small, because of the relative size of the observer. That is, if the Earth were truly flat, there would still be a visible horizon line, and, to ground based viewers, its position and appearance would not be significantly different from what we see on our curved Earth."

Quote from: Cheesesack on May 04, 2008, 12:21:23 PM

There's the fact you can see the world curving when you go on a plane. That enough for you?

This "fact" is debatable by all who have been on a plane. Plus, appearance of curvature doesn't mean it's reality. If you need examples, I can provide them.

I quite like your signature actually, it sums up your quirky little cult rather nicely. As for the issue of perspective, I accept that on a flat earth there would still be a horizon but you have not responded to the fact that you see objects slowly 'sink' over the horizon. Another point no one has given any answers to is that of Virgin Galactic. If the government really are trying to cover up the fact the world is flat (for some reason you yourselves have not explained) then why would they allow a service that will be able to prove to an ordinary person one way or the other? You take the idea that the world is flat and make the 'evidence' fit it. The theory should be built based on the evidence, not the other way round. If you followed this basic scientific principle then this whole archaic notion would never have arisen in the first place. If you don't follow scientific principle then you are no better than a religion.

I appreciate your curiosity, Cheesesack, but you're asking questions and proposing ideas that have been mentioned over and over and over again on these forums. You should probably use the search feature and read older threads to find answers to your question because most of the forum veterans don't bother answering the same questions repeatedly.

Hi there, i'm quite curious about Your belief, and would like to know it a little closer, but first. I searched the forum and there was no answer to Virgin Galactic, so would You like to answer question provided by Cheesesack. Also, divito the truthist could You provide those examples on this topic, i'm quite curious about them. Remember with sensible answer You may get a couple of FE'ers .

Quote from: Cheesesack on May 04, 2008, 12:21:23 PM

Well, there are all the actual photos of a round earth for a start.

So, if I show you photos of leprechauns, you'll believe them? 

<--- this also applies to You, If I show You a book which says that dragons/zombies etc. ^^ exist right now will You believe it?

show me an amature video of a dragon walking or flying around, and i'll believe it.

but FErs refuse to believe professional videos, like this one:



perhaps Tom Bishop could actually produce a picture of the bay he claims to be able to see over!

show me an amature video of a dragon walking or flying around, and i'll believe it.

but FErs refuse to believe professional videos, like this one:



perhaps Tom Bishop could actually produce a picture of the bay he claims to be able to see over!

What would be the point?  You REers would just cry that photographs aren't valid evidence!