Moreover, I cannot help remarking how little a typical flat-earther understands about physics and science in general. Quoting from the link above,
https://wiki.tfes.org/Weight_Variation_by_Latitude“Of interest, upon reviewing the history of weight changes by latitude we find that the nature of the Earth was modified because the theory did not meet the data. This is the origin of the flattening of the poles.
From Voltaire:
“The celebrated Huygens, by calculating centrifugal forces, had proved that the consequent diminution of weight on the surface of a sphere was not great enough to explain the phenomenon, and that therefore the earth must be a spheroid flattened at the poles. ”
Hence, the theory was changed to fit the result, giving us a round world with flattened poles. However logical a bulging equator is in concept, the ability to change a theory to meet a desired result exists as a fudge factor”
So, Tom thinks that the theory was “Earth is a sphere” and that it was modified to fit the new data
(btw, there's nothing wrong in modifying a theory in front of new data, as long as the modified theory gives new predictions and these are confirmed by observations)
But this is NOT the case
Here, the theory was:
piece 1): Newtonian mechanics
piece 2): Newton's Law of gravitation
2) predicts: a non-moving Earth will settle in a spherical shape
1) predicts: a rotating Earth will become an ellipsoid, with an equatorial bulge AND flattened poles, because of centrifugal force
So, flattened poles ARE part of the original theory, NOT a modification of it
More predictions of the theory
1) predicts that a body at the Equator (on a spherical rotating Earth) will weigh less (of an amount x, the “consequent diminution of weight” already calculated by Huygens), because of centrifugal force
1) AND 2) predict that a body at the Equator (on an ellipsoidal rotating Earth, with flattened poles) will weigh still less (of an amount y > x), because the equatorial bulge makes it farther from Earth's center
Experimental observations give a diminution in weight greater than x. This is direct evidence of Earth's rotation and indirect evidence of the flattening of the poles
To have direct evidence of the flattening of the poles, one had to wait for careful measurements showing that the distance between parallels differing 1° in latitude (latitude measured through the altitude of the N celestial Pole) is greater near a pole and shorter near the Equator (greater radius of curvature near a pole on an oblate ellipsoid)
ORIGINAL theory FULLY confirmed.