'Masts on Horizon!' and Flat-Earth Beliefs

[Sean C]

Flat-Earthers are either trolls or just really gullible [read stupid]. Either way, there's no sense trying to understand or reason with them. Best to just ignore them and get on with your life.

[mapuc]

The earth is somewhere round in shape more like an orange

Markus

[Buddahaid]

Some of this is grounded in their faith.

[August]

They are real touchy too as my signature will attest!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sean C

Flat-Earthers are either trolls or just really gullible [read stupid]. Either way, there's no sense trying to understand or reason with them. Best to just ignore them and get on with your life.

Can't argue with the above.

[Platapus]

However, it should be noted that the Flat Earth Society has members from all around the globe

[Buddahaid]

You can see the curve looking at the power lines running across lake Ponchartrain if you want to see.

[Platapus]

When I was working on the salt flats in Utah, you could also see the curvature of the horizon.

[Bilge_Rat]

it is close, apparently the horizon is only 3 miles away when at sea level,

I found it fascinating while studying sea battles when I was a young lad. For example, HMS Prince of Wales opened fire on Bismarck at 26,000 yds or 13 nautical miles so you are in a situation where only sailors in the top masts can spot part of the opposing ship and shells are literally curving around the earth to hit a ship which is mostly beyond the horizon.

The ancient Greeks had already figured out the earth was round in 500 B.C.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Bilge_Rat

it is close, apparently the horizon is only 3 miles away when at sea level,

I found it fascinating while studying sea battles when I was a young lad. For example, HMS Prince of Wales opened fire on Bismarck at 26,000 yds or 13 nautical miles so you are in a situation where only sailors in the top masts can spot part of the opposing ship and shells are literally curving around the earth to hit a ship which is mostly beyond the horizon.

The ancient Greeks had already figured out the earth was round in 500 B.C.

Your post got me looking a few things up and I came up with this.

The greatest range at which one ship's guns have successfully hit another vessel is 24 km (15 miles), a feat that occurred twice during the second world war. On 8 June 1940 the German battleship Scharnhorst hit the British aircraft carrier Glorious at that range in the North Atlantic, while a month later on 9 July, during the battle of Calabria the British battleship HMS Warspite hit the Italian flagship Guilio Cesare at a similar distance.
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com...by-a-ships-gun

[August]

Originally Posted by Platapus

When I was working on the salt flats in Utah, you could also see the curvature of the horizon.

There's some kind of industrial complex that you can see rise up from the horizon on I-80 out in the Utah hinterland that looks like a small sun cresting the horizon.

There aren't a lot of light sources out that way so other than highway traffic it gets pretty dark at night so any stationary lights you do see tend sto draw your attention. Traveling eastbound you can watch what starts off as a single point of light out in the darkness slowly become two, then three what turn out to be smokestack lights. As you get closer those three lights become this enormous factory that is all lit up like a New York Christmas Tree. This whole process takes hours and you start to wonder if you are ever going to get to it.

It really is a great example of earth curvature that you can see at ground level.

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by Platapus

However, it should be noted that the Flat Earth Society has members from all around the globe

I see what you done there!

[Rockstar]

Every one’s knows if you look at earth from the top it will look like a globe :rolls: But those of us who are enlightened it’s just a disc and that thar be dragon’s underneath.

[Sean C]

Actually, whether or not the Earth is flat depends on your frame of reference. For example: if you were a muon traveling at 99.9999999999991% the speed of light, then the Earth would indeed appear to be a disk about 17 meters thick. But please don't tell the flat-Earthers ... lord knows they don't need any encouragement.

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by Sean C

if you were a muon traveling at 99.9999999999991% the speed of light, then the Earth would indeed appear to be a disk about 17 meters thick.

But Star Trek shows streaks of light approaching and passing by when travelling faster then light!