Aug 15 2008Some Maroons Still Believe The Earth Is Flat

If these people really and truly believe that the Earth is flat, then they're fucking retarded.

Nobody is sure who first deduced that the world is round. It is most likely that it was done by observing the Earth's shadow on the Moon during a lunar eclipse. Aristotle (384-322 BC) said that it was common knowledge, at least among the learned, so it's been known for at least 2,500 years.

But these monkeys wish to ignore this? Well bless them but they may as well be trying to convince me that it's healthy to snort oatmeal out of my nose.

We have pictures and video of the Earth from space, it shows it as a huge ball. I don't understand how they've convinced themselves they are correct.

"If" flat, eh? So they fail at geography and grammar. Or am I missing the joke?

I dont know about you all but I've SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES that the earth is round, and i dont need anyone to tell me what i can see for myself. Just think about what you see when you are in a boat and you see nothing but water......

whats on the other side? four elephants of course! they're holding the world up. and they in turn are held up by a giant space turtle.

It's a hoax. Possibly marketing for something else. Read the page they've entitled 'Current Events'. The entire page is rubbish.

"After spending over sixteen million dollars and using over 48 thousand yards of industrial strength strapping tape, we of the Flat Earth Society were able to construct an enormously powerful neurotransmitter that can implant suggestions directly into the brains of the nearby non-Flat Earthers. Having set it up just outside of the Russian Antarctic exploration post (Vostok), we are awaiting word that all three scientists and 174 penguins have been shown the light. "

"Your dog has joined us."

Also, not to many organizations claim to "brainwash" people. Clearly a giant ruse.

Hint: don't believe everything that people say on the interweb at face value.

A very, very small minority of these people actually believe what they say, but derive great fun and intellectual satisfaction from defending an indefensible position and making peoples' brains a'splode trying to argue with them. The best part is that they will never, ever, ever admit to this.

It's sort of trolling taken to an art from.

Granted, there are a few maroons who actually do believe this there, but they're really the distinct minority, and just a testament to the rhetorical powers of the group as a whole.

I salute them.

Behold! The owner of the Earth Is Flat Page, complete with resume and phone number!

http://www.alaska.net/~clund/

If the earth had the shape they claim, it would have a circumference of 150,000 miles (approximately) around Antarctica. it would effectively take YEARS to circumnavigate Antarctica, which is clearly not true.

#8 has a point :D

These are probably the same people who think God is real.

Did any of these "flat-Earthers" ever fly in a plane or even a boat? Their model of the Earth makes no sense for travel.

ummm... moron doesnt have two o's otherwise its the colour maroon

unless of course ive missed some hilariously funny spelling joke

Well I am from Tennessee and I havent ever heard of anyone thinking the earth is flat. Obviously this is some eastern Tennessee hill people thinking.

Back in the 60's when hardly anyoen had been in space or had satellites...OK mayyyyybe. But hell we have 1000's of satellite photos, videos where you can definitely see the curvature of the earth.

This guy is obviously from West Virginia and moved here

"maroon" was used by Bugs Bunny, as is "what a maroon". Bugs probably meant it as a mispronunciation of moron. But it could also have been a completely different insult - a Maroon is a fugitive black slave of the West Indies. So, calling someone a maroon is similar to using the N word (hint, it's nigger).

I'm going to throw a flat earth party, and we will eat pizzas and pancakes!

can I come to your party? I should warn you though, I fold my pizza slices in half, which might disrupt your party.

LMAO "Come on, I'll show you my tits."
I was talking to one of those Christian guy .. according to him there are still dinosaurs that living in Africa....but they all hiding.

You can come to my party, just make sure to do that out of sight from the other guests.

This site is probably a reaction to the idea of teaching other 15th Century ideas as "fact," ie Intelligent Design, a geo-centric universe, etc. I think it's tongue in cheek, and I think it's awesome.

@14

ummm... You just spelled it with two "O's."

So if I were to set sail from the West or East coast, and head due west or east I could reach Antarctica? Do they not realize that people have circled the earth without having to trek across a frozen waste land? I call Fail! Epic Fail! Thanks Tennessee for once again proving you are truly the birth place of education.

Of course the Earth is round. Of course. But these people are not bluffing. They aren't doing this for kicks or as a viral marketing campaign or a clever political commentary. They're quite serious. I joined their forum several years ago thinking it would be easy to show them how stupid they are. Shooting fish in a barrel, I figured.
Result: Proving the Earth is a sphere is not as easy at it sounds at first.
In order to break through the paranoia, you have to use evidence that is easily verificable to them, meaning that satellite and spacecraft photos are immediately off the table. (You know, because NASA is "in on it", lol) So you have to start thinking. It's actually a fun exercise, and it helps motivate those brain cells that have atrophied since grade school. Simply saying, "You're a retard" is NOT an argument, but a failure of logic.
I never convinced anyone there that they were wrong. But I proved to myself that my knowledge was sound, and that logical thinking works. I know the planet is a sphere, but not just because someone told me so. I know it because the evidence proves it.
Go ahead, try it: Give one piece of evidence as to why the Earth is round. The existence of satellite photos or photos from spacecraft don't count (we know they're real, but a moron will have some stupid conspiracy theory). Carl Sagan tried this exercise with a group of young schoolchildren once, and was surprised at their very intelligent answers. some of which even an adult would have not thought of.

@Brianna - can you believe some people still think the earth is ROUND???

@25 How can I phone someone on the other side of the Earth in the middle of the day and have them tell me it's the middle of the night there?

What accounts for the changing of the seasons on a flat Earth?

What do THEY say is on the other side of the flat Earth, anyway?

Do they think the sun is flat, as well? Pasted to the surface of the sky, right?

Technically, depending on the shape of the universe the world maybe flat or not. Our perception is distorted by a 3 dimensional view. It all depends on what you perceive to be true.

Thank god #8 posted or else my brain *would* have exploded... however.

The fact that there even is such a society that exists is f*ing ridiculous anyway. What a stupid way to put people in uproar.

Some people make g.w. sound smart.... NOT.

@25, As to the fools. Ask them,

Why is part of the world night while another part is day. (Can be proven by the giant optical fiber telescope that connect NYC with London, but that exhibit might be done already).

Get flashlight and ball. There is your explanation.

Try to get them to do that with a cd and light source that is far away.

@28 Don't you mean a *4*-dimensional view?

@ tWITCHDOKTOR - PFFFT, I know, right? what MOROONS!

The Flat Earth Society is not new; it is the longest-running "shaggy dog joke" of all time. And lots of you fell for it, including the Geekologie writer.

Track down a copy of the video "In Search of the Edge". They interview several "members" of the Flat Earth Society, including a couple of physics and astronomy professors...

It's totally hilarious.

#7 - 8 have got it, as it's definitely a hoax/ruse (as they said).
#12: you are a maroon
#24: New Mexico's 50th in education, and Florida's 39th...not Tennessee.
#25: children think a bit differently than us; God bless them, they're awesome. Also, There are several pieces of evidence. Aside from the evidence that was found to be true over 2,000 years ago. For instance, take a long flat piece of road (like the Nürnberg track). You can't actually see the end since it follows the curvature of the earth. (one of many examples).
Brianna, as long as there's pizza folding (hidden or otherwise), I' wanna go too! :)

flat-Earthers...Tennessee-based.....society member... 'flat-Earthers'....
anti-intellectuals......

ok... uhh.... don't show us a picture

@22 I hadn't thought of it that way.

@25 I want to know what you came up with. What was your username over there?

Also, guys, I figured out what's living on the other side! Cryptids! That's why we never see them except for when they ~accidentally~ reveal themselves. (Perhaps those were the ones banished from the dark side.) It all makes sense now.

that's it --- i'm starting a Flat Food Society!

The Flat Earth Society is the equivalent of a debating society, and its been around for years. The majority of members don't ACTUALLY believe the earth is flat (there are exceptions, no doubt) but will argue the case of a flat earth as a matter of debate and mental exercise. That's why a large number of the members are actually highly educated, and in fields that seem completely contrary to believing the earth is flat (like astronomy, or physics). It has nothing to do with religion, race, or education. These people are getting their jollies by whipping you into a frothing frenzy trying to prove them wrong, something that is actually very hard to do. Its difficult to come up with concrete, empirical, untamperable evidence when dealing with something the size of the earth.

Of COURSE if you go to their forums and try to convince them the earth is round they're going to argue with you -- that's what they're there for!

#5, Morono, the Flat Earth Society isn't about truly believing the world is flat, it's more a forum for intellectual space cadet twats to have philosophical discussions about it. Logically, unless a flat earther has been into space and seen with their own eyes the rotation of the earth, their logic is that it's impossible to truly PROVE that it's round. you should go to their website and raise some hell, I think the only thing that can shut them up is an actual astronaut or other such person with a true visual account. Even then they'd probably just accuse you of lying since you can't really PROVE that you did it.

It's all just a lesson in futility. Personally I read their forums whenever I feel the need to kill something. It gives me a handy list of targets should I ever go over the edge.

Can 25 or anyone else link to something about Carl Sagan's experiment with the kids? I can't find it anywhere and it sounds very interesting!

I think the Bizarro earth is on the other side.

Ummm, what is there to debate? If you fly a plane in a straight line long enough in any direction you return to the original spot. What other explanation is required?

Also #24 has an equally good argument.

#34.... Ditto to everything you said.

Geekologie, I love the fact you worked "maroon" into one of your posts. Thanks.

This has to be fake.. like the NAMBLA.

I know whats on the other side, and your guess was correct CANDY LAND! where else would they get delicious candy? A flat world makes perfect sense of course, with all the seasons and changing on day to night.

What I find even funnier is the ad for a free 3D Earth screensaver right underneath the article :D

I agree with all of ya. this is totally retarded.

but has anyone ever heard of the people that believe in a "Hollow" Earth?

now that is totally braindead.

go here to see more stupidity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow_Earth

Fun stuff.

Their "theorums" can be disproved rather easily.

I believe its a joke.

lol, that must be a joke.
Easy proof of earth's testicle shape: Get 2 or more sticks of the same size. And friends.
One goes to london, another one to paris, and the last one to alger. Put the stick vertically at the same time. Get stick shadow length.
Compare the 3 lengths.
If the 3 are exactly the same, then earth is as flat as a pizza.

Here's the aggravating thing with their logic, you all may THINK that their theories are easily disproved, but after a few futile rounds with them you learn that they're really not. The stick thing? Since the person you're trying to convince cannot realistically be in the same place at all 3 locations at the same time, it can't be proven because for all he knows, these three people with their sticks could be lying. The airplane? Nobody's gonna front the money to buy a plane ticket all the way around the globe, and even if so, their faulty gadgets could be saying we're at X coordinates, but really just skirting along the continent and then veering off to fly over a continent on the opposite side of the map. Gasses in the air warp the straight edge of the horizon, only making it APPEAR to be rounded.

It's infuriating. As illogical as their arguments are, you can't really get them to admit to it.

Sort of like convincing staunch republicans that global warming is real.

I have herpes :(

#12: Did you know the Bible actually confirms the Earth is round within its very pages? I guess you were just too uneducated. You probably went to public school.

Oh, and judging by the number of comments here... if the flat earth society really is fake and just a bunch of guys laughing while trying to get people to argue pointlessly, then they've succeeded.

The Earth is flat alright. I've seen it in my dreams.

#40: Haha, I know!!! I've been looking around for about 20 minutes trying to find it too. :(

Whether the bible states the earth is round or flat is heavily up to interpretation, since the most commonly used phrase was "chuwg" which is mostly translated as "circle." Believers can either interpret it as sphere or 2D circle, but there seems to be little in the original Hebrew that directly states one way or the other.

Most likely they simply didn't care, or even think of it as an issue.