Post by Richard on May 25, 2015 17:59:27 GMT
"It's easy to fly like an eagle when you live among the turkeys."
Flat Earth: Experiment 1
Introduction
If you are in doubt, one of the best things you can do to see if the earth is flat or round is by doing some simple experiments. Below is one of them. If you already are convinced that the earth is round, then perform an experiment for a friend. Sometimes you don't even have to do that; just by explaining the experiment to him or her, they should be able to reason and understand that the earth is flat.
A boat, with a flag-staff, the top of the flag 5 feet above the surface of the water, was directed to sail from a place called "Welche's Dam" (a well-known ferry passage), to another called "Welney Bridge." These two points are six statute miles apart. The author, with a good telescope, went into the water; and with the eye about 8 inches above the surface, observed the receding boat during the whole period required to sail to Welney Bridge. The flag and the boat were distinctly visible throughout the whole distance! There could be no mistake as to the distance passed over, as the man in charge of the boat had instructions to lift one of his oars to the top of the arch the moment he reached the bridge.
The experiment commenced about three o'clock in the afternoon of a summer's day, and the sun was shining brightly and nearly behind or against the boat during the whole of its passage. Every necessary condition had been fulfilled, and the result was to the last degree definite and satisfactory. The conclusion was unavoidable that the surface of the water for a length of six miles did not to any appreciable extent decline or curvate downwards from the line of sight. But if the earth is a globe, the surface of the six miles length of water would have been 6 feet higher in the centre than at the two extremities, as shown in diagram fig. 2; but as the telescope was only 8 inches above the water, the highest point of the surface would have been at one mile from the place of observation; and below this point the surface of the water at the end of the remaining five miles would have been 16 feet.
Let A B represent the arc of water 6 miles long, and A C the line of sight. The point of contact with the arc would be at T, a distance of one mile from the observer at A. From T to the bridge at B would be 5 miles, and the curvature from T to B would be 16 feet 8 inches. The top of the flag on the boat (which was 5 feet high) would have been 11 feet 8 inches below the horizon T, and altogether out of sight. Such a condition was not observed; but the following diagram, fig. 3, exhibits the true state of the case--A, B, the line of sight, equi-distant from or parallel with the surface of the water throughout the whole distance of 6 milts: From which it is concluded that the surface of standing water is not convex, but horizontal.
Do Your Own Experiment
Go to the beach and set up a telescope and look at any boats that passes by. If you don't have a telescope, take your digital camera and take a picture of the furthest boat you see on the ocean. This will be even better, as you can share the pictures with others.
When you upload them to your computer, look at the ship. What do you see? You see the whole ship down to the water line – the same as if it was 100 yards out. What does this tell you? If the earth is round, you would only see part of the ship (depending how far it was from your view). But you see the whole ship – it may be small because it's far away but it's the whole ship. This means there is NO curvature of the earth but that it is FLAT.
Flat Earth: Experiment 1
Introduction
If you are in doubt, one of the best things you can do to see if the earth is flat or round is by doing some simple experiments. Below is one of them. If you already are convinced that the earth is round, then perform an experiment for a friend. Sometimes you don't even have to do that; just by explaining the experiment to him or her, they should be able to reason and understand that the earth is flat.
A boat, with a flag-staff, the top of the flag 5 feet above the surface of the water, was directed to sail from a place called "Welche's Dam" (a well-known ferry passage), to another called "Welney Bridge." These two points are six statute miles apart. The author, with a good telescope, went into the water; and with the eye about 8 inches above the surface, observed the receding boat during the whole period required to sail to Welney Bridge. The flag and the boat were distinctly visible throughout the whole distance! There could be no mistake as to the distance passed over, as the man in charge of the boat had instructions to lift one of his oars to the top of the arch the moment he reached the bridge.
The experiment commenced about three o'clock in the afternoon of a summer's day, and the sun was shining brightly and nearly behind or against the boat during the whole of its passage. Every necessary condition had been fulfilled, and the result was to the last degree definite and satisfactory. The conclusion was unavoidable that the surface of the water for a length of six miles did not to any appreciable extent decline or curvate downwards from the line of sight. But if the earth is a globe, the surface of the six miles length of water would have been 6 feet higher in the centre than at the two extremities, as shown in diagram fig. 2; but as the telescope was only 8 inches above the water, the highest point of the surface would have been at one mile from the place of observation; and below this point the surface of the water at the end of the remaining five miles would have been 16 feet.
Let A B represent the arc of water 6 miles long, and A C the line of sight. The point of contact with the arc would be at T, a distance of one mile from the observer at A. From T to the bridge at B would be 5 miles, and the curvature from T to B would be 16 feet 8 inches. The top of the flag on the boat (which was 5 feet high) would have been 11 feet 8 inches below the horizon T, and altogether out of sight. Such a condition was not observed; but the following diagram, fig. 3, exhibits the true state of the case--A, B, the line of sight, equi-distant from or parallel with the surface of the water throughout the whole distance of 6 milts: From which it is concluded that the surface of standing water is not convex, but horizontal.
Do Your Own Experiment
Go to the beach and set up a telescope and look at any boats that passes by. If you don't have a telescope, take your digital camera and take a picture of the furthest boat you see on the ocean. This will be even better, as you can share the pictures with others.
When you upload them to your computer, look at the ship. What do you see? You see the whole ship down to the water line – the same as if it was 100 yards out. What does this tell you? If the earth is round, you would only see part of the ship (depending how far it was from your view). But you see the whole ship – it may be small because it's far away but it's the whole ship. This means there is NO curvature of the earth but that it is FLAT.
