Comments on: The Enemy’s Gate Is Down

By: Allan Michael

Allan Michael — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 13:05:51 +0000

I was recently asked if I could, through a simple experiment, prove that the earth was round. I suggested that a sail boat with flags tied onto it’s mast at different heights when sailing away from shore (or any point) would show the flags lowest on the mast disappear over the horizon before the taller ones.
The person who quizzed me did not feel that my demonstration would prove anything.

By: Devin

Devin — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 00:49:39 +0000

I also was curious about what their proof could possibly be. Alas, I’m sure I became stupider for finding out…Also I’m sadly disappointed at how many people are rejecting (even basic) science (what? you mean provable evidence is important?) and how many more vocally believe in pseudo-science.

By: M.saiful islam

M.saiful islam — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 22:48:02 +0000

Knowledge is limited by time and space and is renewing with passage of time. Science and mathematics are a way to scale the natural phenomenon and the minutest elements of particle that constitute the world and the universes . To days knowledge is transforming the
understanding at a rapid speed due to technological advancement in communication,visualisation and formulations. The knowledge of creations and the devine origin are fathomless oceans and yet to be explored ! To days understanding will keep changing with new wave
of knowledge & understanding in a rapid speed.

By: K.J.

K.J. — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:36:26 +0000

@Alipasha Sadri You are right about that….i mixed it and wrote a wrong statement. Indeed when Earth is slightly “flattened” because of its rotation, it means that the diameter from north to south is less…..not more as at the equator (how stupid of me). I do believe it leads to less mass below your feet, but closer to the center of gravity.
Luckely the part i qouted from that link is correct…i saw more links when googling saying about the same.

Thanks for correcting that!

By: Wayne

Wayne — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 17:45:25 +0000

Truly amazing that people still think the world is flat. With so many simple ways to prove to ourselves that it is spherical, it would be interesting to see their proof that it is flat.Would love to see their proof that it is flat.

By: Alipasha Sadri

Alipasha Sadri — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 16:21:55 +0000

“North-to-South is a few kilometers less, as its diameter at the equator. Meaning at the poles there is more mass between you and the center of Earth and more distance. All-in-all this also increases your weight at the poles.”

Doesn’t the first part of your statement imply that there is actually “less” distance between you at the pole and the center of the Earth?

In fact what makes you “heavier” at the pole, due to the “shape” of Earth (if it is bulging around the equator), is the that you are “closer” to the “center of mass” rather than the amount of mass between you and the center of Earth. The amount of mass between you and the center of Earth (assuming the shape is at least “symmetric”) is the same no matter where you are on the surface (if you go underground, all bets are off! 🙂 ). It is always “half” the entire mass. But that, in and of itself does not lead to any conclusion about how much you’ll weight.

But when you are at a pole, you are “closer” to all the particles of mass (of Earth) on average and since gravity decreases with distance, then you weight more.

By: Alipasha Sadri

Alipasha Sadri — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 16:13:34 +0000

Your gold scheme probably would not work if the sellers and buyers insist on using balance scales 🙂 That actually measures the mass regardless of the acceleration of gravity (you just need a tiny bit of it to keep the objects from flying away 😀 )

By: K.J.

K.J. — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 13:42:05 +0000

“So Earth’s rotation really does mean that you weigh less at the equator.”

Also, Earth is not a perfect sphere. North-to-South is a few kilometers less, as its diameter at the equator. Meaning at the poles there is more mass between you and the center of Earth and more distance. All-in-all this also increases your weight at the poles.

I googled one link to offer a reference too;.http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/42-our-solar-system/the-earth/gravity/94-does-your-weight-change-between-the-poles-and-the-equator-intermediate
“Taking into account both of the above effects (centrifugal at equator, and more mass below your feet at the poles), the gravitational acceleration is 9.78 m/s^2 at the equator and 9.83 m/s^2 at the poles, so you weigh about 0.5% more at the poles than at the equator.”

Ok i am nitpicking. But i am thinking of buying gold at the equator, and than sell it from my Northpole shop. I win about 5 grams of gold for each kilo i resell, right? 🙂

Thanks for this and your other million good articles

By: Kenneth enough G wright

Kenneth enough G wright — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 08:10:54 +0000

I feel the earth is round but not like a ball but yet a ball cut in half. More like a water balloon filled with water all the water is at the bottom in a round shape but nothing but air at the top an not a full balloon.. Not a scientist but just my theory of the earth’s shape…

By: James Harmer

James Harmer — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 18:27:09 +0000

Not heard the ‘Celebrities must always be right!’ argument before. That’s a whole new level of stupid. Here in England a few years ago there was a primetime sports commentator called David Icke who suddenly announced that the World was run by Big Green Lizards in disguise. One of the more important Big Green Lizards was apparently the Queen of England, who in a feat of heroic self control didn’t have him arrested and carted off to a funny farm somewhere. And she remains without visible scales. At least in public.

By: Robert Crowley

Robert Crowley — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 12:41:19 +0000

Your title is a bit provocative. Nice choice of words. I am still in awe of the (seemingly, at least) increasing number of people who staunchly refuse to believe that the Earth is round. No matter what evidence or even easy to do experiment they’re shown, it all just bounces off their craniums like science off a ducks back. And the funniest part is they cite ‘celebrities’ who believe it as proof they are right. I may be wrong here, but in absolutely no paper nor textbook do I recall Tila Tequila as a contributing author.