Travelling South.

I believe I understand your idea of a FE.

Basically the edge of the world is the South Pole.
Or for whatever reason you call it... an "Ice Wall".

Anyhow, my scenario is as follows.

I stand on any point on the Earth, and hold one end of a really light string, 1km long, and my friend holds the other end. We make sure that the string is taut.

We both hold compasses which point due North. Now both of us attempt to travel 10 kilometres in the opposite direction.

According to your FE model, this is impossible, as we will infact travel away from each other.

If someone is able to do something like this, would this disprove your theory of a FE?

Basically the edge of the world is the South Pole.
Or for whatever reason you call it... an "Ice Wall".

I think the reason is that it is assumed to be a wall of ice.

I stand on any point on the Earth, and hold one end of a really light string, 1km long, and my friend holds the other end. We make sure that the string is taut.

We both hold compasses which point due North. Now both of us attempt to travel 10 kilometres in the opposite direction.

When you say "opposite direction", you mean "south"? And I assume that the two people are lined up in an east-west direction?

According to your FE model, this is impossible, as we will infact travel away from each other.

Actually, depending on where you start, this could also be impossible according to a RE model, because a round Earth would be wider at the equator than closer to the north pole.

If someone is able to do something like this, would this disprove your theory of a FE?

Are you implying that you are planning to actually perform this experiment?

I stand on any point on the Earth, and hold one end of a really light string, 1km long, and my friend holds the other end. We make sure that the string is taut.

We both hold compasses which point due North. Now both of us attempt to travel 10 kilometres in the opposite direction.

When you say "opposite direction", you mean "south"? And I assume that the two people are lined up in an east-west direction?

Yes - in the Opposite direction to North. Ie: We both travel our Referential Souths.

Are you implying that you are planning to actually perform this experiment?

If it meant the demise of an entire website, I just might.

Well, according to FE theory, if we both travelled due "south" from 2 points equally as far away from the North pole, we should be moving off at different tangents. The closer to the North Pole we are, the closer to each other we are. The further away we are from the North Pole, the further away from each other we will be.

If my experiment works - ie: we are both able to travel a significant distance due south and still stay the same distance apart, we are living in a world where
a) the surface is round and not flat
or
b) matter stretches at a constant rate the further away from the North Pole we are.

probably the most conclusive (if not long winded) way to prove the earth is round is to have 1 person start walking around the equator.... if they get back to where they started, then its a sphere




although, the FE'er could then argue, "he walked around in a circle"... cause thats what it would show on that FE map i saw

ohhhhh

yeah,.. thats pretty cool


you didn't really specify "in an east-west direction"

but then again, the FE model does have the south pole around the entire perimeter of the "ice wall"...

Which is why I said the opposite to North.

Well, according to FE theory, if we both travelled due "south" from 2 points equally as far away from the North pole, we should be moving off at different tangents. The closer to the North Pole we are, the closer to each other we are. The further away we are from the North Pole, the further away from each other we will be.

And the same would be true on the northern hemisphere of a round Earth.

If my experiment works - ie: we are both able to travel a significant distance due south and still stay the same distance apart, we are living in a world where
a) the surface is round and not flat

False. See above.

b) matter stretches at a constant rate the further away from the North Pole we are.

Yes, that's what you would have proven.

I'm assuming you guys are just arguing for the sake of arguing, huh?

I'm assuming you guys are just arguing for the sake of arguing, huh?

What gives you that idea? That I didn't just accept your experiment, which is based on incorrect assumptions?

Perhaps I should have just let you perform the experiment as you proposed, because on the northern hemisphere, the string would rip in any case, no matter if the Earth is flat or round. But you would have taken it as proof that the Earth is flat. Darnit... what a great opportunity we have missed here.  

i'm not arguing...


and copernicus was wrong, but at least it was a step in the right direction  

I believe I understand your idea of a FE.

Basically the edge of the world is the South Pole.
Or for whatever reason you call it... an "Ice Wall".

Anyhow, my scenario is as follows.

I stand on any point on the Earth, and hold one end of a really light string, 1km long, and my friend holds the other end. We make sure that the string is taut.

We both hold compasses which point due North. Now both of us attempt to travel 10 kilometres in the opposite direction.

According to your FE model, this is impossible, as we will infact travel away from each other.

If someone is able to do something like this, would this disprove your theory of a FE?

Um...Same thing would happen on a round earth,  there is a difference in the amount of distance you would travel apart, but only a small one.

If you could prove the distance to the equator from the north pole, and the exact distance covered by the equator you could prove the round earth vs Flat earth, but how to prove your measurements?

(On a Round earth, the equator is about 40,000 KM (by definition the distance from the Pole to the equator is 10000 KM(+/-), in a flat Earth, it would be over 60,000)  (2 * 3.14 * 10,000)

Quote from: "solo"

I'm assuming you guys are just arguing for the sake of arguing, huh?

What gives you that idea?

The fact that it was pointed out that if my experiment were successful, I would prove that matter stretches the further away from the North pole you are. *loopy*

Thank you for helping me develop my experiment further though. As you have said, if I do this in the Northern Hemisphere, these two experiments will have somewhat the same result - a broken string.

If we do it in/on the southern hemisphere, and I get slack on the cable, it would prove the Earth is round, beyond reasonable doubt, no?

Heres the kicker, I live in SOUTH AUSTRALIA - on the southern hemisphere. Yay for me!

Now, to find a kilometre long peice of string, 2 very accurate compasses, and to take a trip up to the Nullabor.

Um...Same thing would happen on a round earth,  there is a difference in the amount of distance you would travel apart, but only a small one.

If you could prove the distance to the equator from the north pole, and the exact distance covered by the equator you could prove the round earth vs Flat earth, but how to prove your measurements?

(On a Round earth, the equator is about 40,000 KM (by definition the distance from the Pole to the equator is 10000 KM(+/-), in a flat Earth, it would be over 60,000)  (2 * 3.14 * 10,000)

Once again, really long peice of string.

Once again, really long peice of string.

That would take the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota!

Heres the kicker, I live in SOUTH AUSTRALIA - on the southern hemisphere. Yay for me!

Actually if you do live in the souther half of the world, the FE is much easier to disprove.  

One degree of latitude south of the equator should be larger than on the equator, on a round earth it would be shorter.  You will have to determine how to ensure you have measured on degree, without relying on a GPS, Map, star chart, or posted information (I suggest triangulation off of a fixed point).  But it could be done.  If you can travel more than 112KM due east or west and not have exceded 1 degree than the world is flat.  If you can go more than 1 degree and not have traveled 111 KM then the world is a sphere.

Now, to find a kilometre long peice of string, 2 very accurate compasses, and to take a trip up to the Nullabor.

i'd take a carton too, aparently it gets a bit warm out on the plains

(p.s. nsw )

If we do it in/on the southern hemisphere, and I get slack on the cable, it would prove the Earth is round, beyond reasonable doubt, no?

Pretty much so, yes.

Heres the kicker, I live in SOUTH AUSTRALIA - on the southern hemisphere. Yay for me!

Now, to find a kilometre long peice of string, 2 very accurate compasses, and to take a trip up to the Nullabor.

Should make for an interesting TV show. Just make sure that you get a piece of string or a cable that does not stretch under its own weight. Otherwise, you'll get slack on the cable in the process of the experiment no matter what. I'd say, a scientifically sound experimental setup would include a trip back to your point of origin to show that the cable is stretched tight again. Also make sure that you find a very flat area and ideally, you would precalculate the amount of slack you are expecting to see.

Let us know how your preparations go.