Author Topic: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.  (Read 14944 times)

Offline mako88sb

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Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« on: November 25, 2017, 02:05:34 PM »
What a nutcase. Darwin award of the millennium nominee and likely to win:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRfIRICUnII

Offline bknight

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2017, 08:32:49 PM »
I predict he will see no curvature from his altitude of ~1800' and declare The Earth is flat, thereby proving his premise.  But he a wacko for sure.  Try flying in an airliner at 35-40 K feet would be better.

It gets better

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/11/24/a-flat-earthers-plan-to-launch-himself-in-a-homemade-rocket-just-hit-a-speed-bump/?utm_term=.b42ac4e2c17f

Quote
A California man who planned to launch himself 1,800 feet high Saturday in a homemade scrap-metal rocket — in an effort to prove that Earth is flat — said he is postponing the experiment after he couldn't get permission from a federal agency to conduct it on public land.
« Last Edit: November 25, 2017, 08:38:17 PM by bknight »
Truth needs no defense.  Nobody can take those footsteps I made on the surface of the moon away from me.
Eugene Cernan

Offline Bryanpoprobson

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2017, 05:37:38 AM »
Fruit-loop with a death wish.
"Wise men speak because they have something to say!" "Fools speak, because they have to say something!" (Plato)

Offline bknight

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2017, 07:02:27 AM »
https://www.avclub.com/extremely-intelligent-man-to-fly-homemade-rocket-into-s-1820686366

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Extremely intelligent man to fly homemade rocket into space to prove earth is flat

Homer. Democritus. Anaxagoras. Three brilliant thinkers and writers, men who contributed to the development of classical Greek thought, and most importantly, men who believed the earth was flat. To their ranks, we can now add California resident Mike “Mad Mike” Hughes.

I don't find anything about him extremely intelligent, but that is me. I don't know why any news organization would put him in the same sentence with those Greeks.
Truth needs no defense.  Nobody can take those footsteps I made on the surface of the moon away from me.
Eugene Cernan

Offline gillianren

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2017, 11:18:43 AM »
Sarcasm.
"This sounds like a job for Bipolar Bear . . . but I just can't seem to get out of bed!"

"Conspiracy theories are an irresistible labour-saving device in the face of complexity."  --Henry Louis Gates

Offline nomuse

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2017, 12:28:59 PM »
I was wondering if this was going to get mentioned here.

Opinion I've heard from more than one is that he isn't a dedicated flat-earther. He just wants to ride rockets. Although I would have never thought of the flat earth society as a deep pocket for funding...

Well, at least he believes rockets work. (Made the mistake of going from YouTube videos arguing Flat Earther talking points to "you may also like" which were largely about how rockets don't work in vacuum. Sigh. And, yes, they saw the Mythbusters ep. Their excuse is the Estes motor filled the chamber with burnt propellant; voila; an atmosphere to "push against!")

Incidentally, I really love the Nile River one. Makes my head hurt trying to see the world the way they do. For some reason, they are able to work with rivers that flow North, though (which also describes the Nile, come to think. And mea culpa; that gave me a lot of trouble in beginning Egyptology; Upper Egypt is to the SOUTH.)

Offline smartcooky

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2017, 10:08:45 PM »
Hmmmm. The Stupid is strong in this one!
If you're not a scientist but you think you've destroyed the foundation of a vast scientific edifice with 10 minutes of Googling, you might want to consider the possibility that you're wrong.

Offline Geordie

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2017, 07:18:09 PM »
I cannot wait to see the video!

At least this guy puts his money where his mouth is.

Offline mako88sb

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2017, 05:08:41 AM »
I cannot wait to see the video!

At least this guy puts his money where his mouth is.

Here you go. I didn't realize he did his first flight back in 2014:

Offline Geordie

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2017, 03:34:50 PM »
I cannot wait to see the video!

At least this guy puts his money where his mouth is.

Here you go. I didn't realize he did his first flight back in 2014:

That actually looks like fun, even if it's as dangerous as all get out. His rig looks just like Evel Knievel's steam-powered rocket "motorcycle."

Offline Geordie

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2017, 07:28:10 PM »
Elon Musk vs. the Flat Earthers: Is Mars flat too?

http://nationalpost.com/news/world/why-is-there-no-flat-mars-society

Offline nomuse

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2017, 09:11:48 PM »
What have I done?

Actually it was my friend's fault. He was doing some historical research and went looking for the height of a particular lighthouse.

Some of you may see this one coming.

Of course he stumbled onto a bunch of flat earth websites, and from there wandered out to some YouTube channels. And now he's turned me on to some of them.

Have I ever mentioned how much I miss the Apollo Hoaxers? Flat Earther Bingo is So Boring.

Here's some of their big arguments:

1) Rivers would have to run uphill (because they'd have to go around the curve of a round Earth, see?)
2) Planes would have to be continuously pushing the nose down lest they head off into space.
3) Tides are impossible because the water would be sucked into space (but the Moon should have fallen down anyhow so never mind).
4) Airplanes (seriously...have they ever been on one?) would have to steer madly clockwise the instant they left the runway, and keep doing that until they crossed the pole and had to steer counter-clockwise to continue compensating for Earth's spin. Oh, and if you jumped up you'd go flying into a wall.

The lighthouse one is actually half-way, err, something. They look at tables of how far out from sea you should be able to see a particular lighthouse, then proceed to get the math wrong in calculating the actual visibility. I keep wanting to ask them, though; Why Build Them Tall in the First Place? Unless, you know, round earth (which they charmingly call "Ball Earth." It's their version of "Astro__."

Offline mako88sb

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2017, 04:30:20 PM »
Yes. I tried debating a flat-earther once and it's a hopeless cause. Those folks are batshit crazy, and that's being generous in my opinion.

Offline jfb

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #13 on: December 12, 2017, 09:35:57 AM »
I propose a new entry into the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Youtube Psychosis. 

Offline gillianren

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Re: Flat Earth believer to launch homemade rocket.
« Reply #14 on: December 12, 2017, 12:26:36 PM »
Conspiracism is in the DSM-5.  Though remember, in order to qualify as a disorder, it has to be severe enough to impact your day-to-day life.  If nothing in your life relies on knowing that the Earth is round, humans have walked on the Moon, and so forth, and you're able to live a normal, healthy life despite believing such things, you do not qualify for the mental illness.
"This sounds like a job for Bipolar Bear . . . but I just can't seem to get out of bed!"

"Conspiracy theories are an irresistible labour-saving device in the face of complexity."  --Henry Louis Gates