Hence, making the FAQ that much more in need of being updated.
I recently spent some time trying to update the FAQ to make sure it is still representative of FE theory. However, I want to make sure I did not miss anything, namely alternative answers to questions. If you guys have any suggestions, please tell me so I can revise it. I included some of my own pictures and some from other people. If these pictures are inaccurate, it would be best to know. Thanks a ton.
-Derek
The FAQ template I have so far is shown below the white line.
. . _ _ _ ___________________________________________________________________ _ _ _ . .
Welcome to the Flat Earth Society!
Thanks for taking the time to go through this FAQ. It was created in light of the realization that for someone with a "round-Earth" (RE) background, the FE theory would appear at first glance to have some glaring holes.
This FAQ is subject to change, as discussions raise inconsistencies. It will be updated as necessary.
DisclaimerThe opinions and beliefs expressed in any posts do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of The Flat Earth Society Forums.
The Flat Earth Society Forums' goal is to promote the free discussion of The Flat Earth Theory as well as the free discussion of and debate of any topic of interest to our members that do not contradict Forum Rules.
The views of any individual or organization (including that of the old Flat Earth Society run by Charles K Johnson) are not necessarily shared in whole or in part by The Flat Earth Society Forums. The only person qualified to give the official position of the Forums (if required) is Daniel.
Also please remember that views of the Forum are not necessarily shared by the Forum Staff who come from both sides of The Flat/Sphere Debate and whose sole unifying purpose is to promote a smooth running forum so as to encourage the victory of truth thought free discussion and argument.
In addition, please note that the FAQ should be considered a starting point. It addresses many questions those new to FET have about the theory but in no way represents a comprehensive, all-encompassing view of the theory. It should also be noted that not all points in the FAQ are necessarily agreed on by all FE proponents.
Important Links- If you have any questions about, or see anything wrong with the answers in this list you can talk about it here.
- For the original work by the man who created the Flat Earth Society over a hundred and fifty years ago, please see Samuel Rowbotham's Earth: Not a Globe.
- Additional Flat-Earth sites is available here.
TerminologyFE (theory/model): Flat Earth (theory/model), a theory which states that the Earth is flat.
FE'er: Flat Earther, someone who believes in the FE theory.
UA: Universal Accelerator, the source of Earth's constant acceleration.
RE (theory/model): Round Earth (theory/model), a theory which states that the Earth is round.
RE'er: Round Earther, someone who believe the RE theory.
Frequently Asked Questions-
General-
Q: "Is this site for real?"
A: This site is real. There are people who seriously believe the Earth is flat. However, there are also people on this site who do not.
Q: "Why do you guys believe the Earth is flat?"
A: It appears to take a flat shape, ignoring obvious hills and valleys of course. Also, Samuel Rowbotham et al. performed a variety of experiments over a period of several years that demonstrate the lack of curvature over long distances. They are all explained in his book, which is linked above.
-
Authorities-
Q: "Why do the all the world Governments say the Earth is round?"
A: There exists a conspiracy among world Governments claiming to have space programs and has disseminated the lie to the other governments of the world, as well as to the media and the general public.
Q: "What is the motive behind this conspiracy?"
A: Although it is unknown, the most favored theory is
financial gain.
Q: "If you're not sure about the motive, why do you say there is a conspiracy?"
A: Quite simply, if the earth is in fact flat, then the governments must be lying when they say it round.
Q: "What about NASA? Don't they have photos to prove that the Earth is round?"
A: NASA is part of the conspiracy too. The photos are fabricated for our benefit.
Q: "Why has no-one taken a photo of the Earth that proves it is flat?"
A1: The government prevents people from getting close enough to the ice wall to take a picture.
A2: Due to the false knowledge of civilians and explorers, finding the rim of the planet is extremely difficult and counter intuitive.
A3: If the earth is an infinite plane, no picture from ground level or otherwise could capture the flatness of the Earth.
Q: "How did NASA create these images with the computer technology available at the time?"
A: Computer technology was available at the time and was held secret from the public. Also, additional funds for technological improvement were accessible through funding intended for space specific aeronautical technology.
PLEASE NOTE - This means that pictures confirming the roundness or flatness of the Earth DO NOT IN THEMSELVES CONSTITUTE VALID PROOF
Q: "How could the government pull off the conspiracy successfully?"
A: Restricting the knowledge to key members and
minimizing those involved.
Q: "How are the world governments organized enough to carry out this conspiracy?"
A1: They only appear to be disorganized to make the conspiracy seem implausible.
A2: Only a few governments (USA, former USSR, certain European countries) need to be involved. The rest readily accept the false claims.
Q: Why hasn't this site been shut down by the government?
A: Doing so would prove that the government is hiding something.
Q: How could the government possibly guard the entire ice wall?
A: You could do it with a
few hundred and some basic equipment.
The Flat Earth Model
FIG. 1Q: "What is the circumference and diameter of the Earth?"
A: Circumference: 78225 miles, Diameter: 24,900 miles
Q: "What about the stars, sun and moon and other planets? Are they flat too? What are they made of?"
A: The sun and moon, each 32 miles in diameter, circle Earth at a height of 3000 miles at its equator, located midway between the North Pole and the ice wall. A dense and unique gravitational field warps the path of the light rays creating a lower perceived sun or moon from greater distances. This continues until the light intersects the Earth appearing to set. Their apparent rising and setting are caused by the interruption of the horizon.
FIG. 2Q: "Please explain sunrises/sunsets."
A: As the warped light intersects with the earth, a spectator further away is too low to see the light rays that didn't hit the ground and cannot receive light through the Earth.
Q: "Why are other celestial bodies round but not the Earth?"
A: The Earth is not one of the other planets. The Earth is special and unlike the other bodies in numerous ways.
Q: "What about satellites? How do they orbit the Earth?"
A: Since sustained spaceflight is not possible, satellites can't orbit the Earth. The signals we supposedly receive from them are either broadcast from towers or any number of possible pseudolites. These are designed to transmit signals and perform the basic tasks of satellites but function differently.
Q: "What's underneath the Earth?" aka "What's on the bottom?" aka "What's on the other side?"
A: This is unknown. Most believe it to be just rocks.
Q: "What about gravity?"
A: The Earth is accelerating upwards at 1g (9.8m/s^2) along with every star, sun and moon in the universe. This produces the same effect as gravity.
Einstein proved this.
Q: "Doesn't this mean we'd be traveling faster than the speed of light, which is impossible?"
A: The equations of Special Relativity prevent an object from accelerating to the speed of light. Due to this restriction, these equations prove that an object can accelerate at a constant rate forever, and never reach the speed of light.
See in depth explanation.
Q: "If the world was really flat, what would happen if you jump off the disc's edge?"
A: You would enter an inertial reference frame, moving at a constant velocity in the direction the Earth was moving before you jumped. The Earth would continue accelerating upwards past you at a rate of 1g, so it would appear to you that you were falling into space.
Q: "If the Earth was indeed a flat disc, wouldn't the whole planet crunch up into itself and eventually transform into a ball?"
A1: If the Earth generated a gravitational field, yes, it would eventually happen, after a billion years maybe. FE assumes that the Earth does not generate a gravitational field. What we know as 'gravity' is provided by the acceleration of the earth.
A2: There is a counter-mass which pulls the Earth back into a disc shape.
Q: "Why does gravity vary with altitude?"
A: The moon and stars have a slight gravitational pull.
Q: Follow-up to previous question: How is it that the Earth does not have a gravitational pull, but stars and the moon do?
A: This argument is a non sequitur. The cause of gravitation is unknown and RE propaganda would have you believe all masses have the same properties.
-
Geography-
Q: Do you have a map?
A: See
this one, created by one of our members. There is also
this map attributed to a person named Wilbur Voliva.
Q: Exactly what shape is the Earth if it's flat? Square or circle?
A: Circle, like in the UN logo, however, the earth is NOT 2D, it is in the shape of a cylinder.
Q: "When traveling in a straight direction, you will always reach the same point on the globe from where you started. How can this happen if the world is flat?"
A: You need to have evidence for this to be true. Also, define "straight." Remember, the northern point on the compass is, under most circumstances (unless near the centre or deep in the ice wall), pointing toward the centre of the Earth. Therefore, if you follow your compass due east or due west, ending up at the same point you started from, you've just gone around the world in a circle.
Q: "Why doesn't water run off the Earth?"
A: There is a vast ice wall that keeps the water where it is. The ice wall is roughly 150ft high. This also explains why you can find a vast plane of ice when you travel south.
Antarctica
as a continent does not exist. Is exists as a rim surrounding the Earth.
Q: "How does global warming affect the ice wall?"
A1: The ice wall is likely a mountain range. The distance of the sun's radiation just allows it to be covered in deep ice and snow.
A2: Global Warming would better be described by cyclical climate change. It and its counter-theory (Global Cooling) are effects that cancel each other out. Remember, these "greenhouse gasses" can reflect heat back out into space as well as keep it on Earth. Yes, there are recorded rises in temperature, but the only records we have go back, at most, around 150 years. This is very likely an occurrence that happens every [x>150] years, that's happened before (perhaps many times), and that the Earth has thus survived before.
Q: "What about tides?"
A1: The tides exist due to a slight see-saw effect on the earth. As it goes back and forth, the water rushes to the side that is lower. Note, this is a very slight wobble. Remember, these wobbles are created by very minor earthquakes. They keep the tides in check. Notice that large earthquakes result in large tides or "tsunami".
A2: The antimoon, is an object with a gravitational pull just like the moon, and is underneath the Earth. If it was above the Earth, it would be directly across the diameter of the moon path following the same motion as the moon. These create predictable tides.
Q : "Why is the North pole colder than the equator?"
A: The sun circles over the equator, thus the north pole and south rim don't receive the same intensity of light.
Q: "How do volcanic eruptions happen?"
A: The Earth is thick enough to have a core of molten lava. Once there's too much of it in too confined a space, it finds its way out, just like the water will come out of a full bottle if you squeeze it too hard.
Q. "How does our iron core produce the magnetic field ?"
A. Both churning spinning molten iron cores work the same way to generate the field. The shape of the field matches based on latitude in both models.
Q: "How can a compass work on a Flat Earth?"
A: The magnetic south pole is near the geographic north pole, just like on the RE. The magnetic north pole is on the underside of the Earth. The Ice Wall is not the south pole, but acts as it, as it is the furthest from the center of the earth that you can follow the magnetic field. The field is vertical in this area, accounting for the aurora australis.
FIG. 3Q: "What about time zones?"
A: Time zones are mapped around the Earth to match the observed rising and setting times for any region. They are a man made interpretation of time that simply fits the map provided. The same applies to day light savings.
Q: "What about Lunar Eclipses?"
A. The moon gets its light from the sun and reflects it. When the sun is nearing furthest away from the moon, the light that normally extends down and up like a parabola, is interrupted by Earth. Distances approaching this limit, would yield the effects of lunar phases.
Q: "How come the travel time by air from South America to New Zealand, via the polar route, is SHORTER than the travel time going North first and then South again?"
A: The airline pilots are guided by their GPS. Remember that satellites don't exist. The replacement data given from pseudolites deliberately throwing distorting all the paths to make it the flights take different times. The curvature of these paths can add or subtract great distances without the overall turning being obvious to someone traveling it.
Q: "How come when I flush my toilet in the northern hemisphere it goes counterclockwise but I have this friend in Australia and when he flushes it goes clockwise?"
A:
You're mistaken. On a round Earth, the Coriolis effect adds at most one (counter)clockwise rotation per day; fewer as you get closer to the equator. The water in your toilet/sink/bathtub/funnel spins much faster than that (probably at least once per minute, or 1440 times per day) so the additional/lost rotation from the Coriolis effect wouldn't be noticed.
Q: "How do seasons work?"
A: The radius of the sun's orbit around the Earth's axis symmetry varies throughout the year, being smallest when summer is in the northern annulus and largest when it is summer in the southern annulus. The image is by thedigitalnomad.
FIG. 4Q: "Are most or all FE's Biblical literalists, who feel like their religious belief system would be threatened by a round (i.e. spherical) earth, or are there any atheists/agnostics who are FE's as well?"
A: Very few if any FE'ers are biblical literalists. Although it is true, the FE theory was originally a religious belief, the majority of FE'ers used analytic thinking and the zetetic method to discover the true shape of the Earth without Round Earth bias.
________________________________________________~Credit for the FAQ~
Credit for the FAQ goes to Erasmus who did a vast majority of the work.
A special thanks goes to Daniel, TheEngineer, Dogplatter, and ﮎingulaЯiτy for their continuing revisions to keep the FAQ updated and organized.
And a special thanks goes to everyone who donated images, their own time, or theories to be incorporated.