What shape is the earth?

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What shape is the earth?
« on: April 02, 2013, 09:16:41 AM »
I have always thought that the earth must be flat because of what we see everyday. The ground we walk on is clearly flat and I never understood why people were trying to claim it was round. I'm really pleased I've found this foroum so that I can tell I'm not the crazy one! I have a few questions

1. Why do people say the earth is round? It obviously isn't so what benefit is there in teaching our kids that it is?

2. What shape is the earth? Like its obviously flat but is it a pizza shape? Or something like a square or triangle?

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Pythagoras

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Re: What shape is the earth?
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2013, 09:25:43 AM »
Where is the earth absolutely flat? ???

Re: What shape is the earth?
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2013, 09:41:16 AM »
Where is the earth absolutely flat? ???

It is my understanding that the flat earth theory deals with the earth overall. Obviously in areas there may be hills or mountains. But the overall landscape is flat: the hills come out, and go back into, the flat earth around them.

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Pythagoras

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Re: What shape is the earth?
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2013, 09:48:00 AM »
You just said that the ground you walk on looks flat so the whole earth must be flat. Do you know how small you are in comparison to the earth? You are unable to see curvature because you are so small and can only see a tiny percentage of its surface.

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PizzaPlanet

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Re: What shape is the earth?
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2013, 09:53:00 AM »
Where is the earth absolutely flat? ???
Nearly 1800 posts and you're still confused by the informal use of "flat" and "round" on this forum? Good fucking job.

[...]I have a few questions
Hi. Just to point it out, we have an FAQ and a Wiki that may be able to answer some (if not most) of your questions!

1. Why do people say the earth is round? It obviously isn't so what benefit is there in teaching our kids that it is?
It is likely the result of fake space travel. People thought the Earth was round, so they produced pictures of the round Earth as seen "from space", which has then been circle-referenced to finally "prove" the Earth round.

2. What shape is the earth? Like its obviously flat but is it a pizza shape? Or something like a square or triangle?
There is a lot of disagreement about this among FE'ers. Generally, the most widely-accepted shape of the known Earth is very similar to the UN logo:


Other models exist. Here's an example:


Most of us openly admit that we don't know what exactly lies beyond the known Earth, so I doubt you'll get a definitive answer from anyone as to what the shape of the whole thing is. Some believe that the Earth is an infinite plane, but I think the general consensus is that it's a disc slightly larger than the known/mapped Earth.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2013, 09:55:15 AM by PizzaPlanet »
hacking your precious forum as we speak 8) 8) 8)

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darknavyseal

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Re: What shape is the earth?
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2013, 11:18:52 AM »
Thank you, PizzaPlanet. Super informative to the actual OP.