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Here is Anirban Samanta, explaining why he thinks flat-earthers belong to the "religion of stupid."
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Why can't physicists disprove the Flat Earth theory contention?.
Anirban Samanta, studied Electrical Engineering & Physics at University of California, Davis
Answered Jun 1
Let’s assume, solely for the sake of argument, that it may be a valid
theory contention. All
theories contentions, no matter who proposed them and no matter how elegant, are invalid if observational data cannot support it. Since the beginning of the space age we have direct photographic evidence, (we have had observational evidence for hundreds if not thousands of years) to prove that the earth is not flat.
The flat-earth
theory contention, in appealing to the public, hinges on the allegation that NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA and all other space agencies are peddling a global hoax. If you believe a
theory contention blindly and call
conspiracy on any proof to the contrary, then such a
theory contention CANNOT be disproved, until such a day that the realization comes to you. That is the power of faith - which is why I consider the flat-earthers
a religion of stupid unto itself.
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Michael Wilton, Research, experimentation & physical evidence for 30+ years
Answered Sat
Your question is based on a closed-minded precept, and as such should be rephrased to something in the order of, “Why can’t physicists disprove the flat earth TO A FLAT EARTH BELIEVER?”
The answer to the (reformed) question posed is actually simple, but I would wager not what you want to hear … They can, and they have on countless occasions, going all the way back to the ‘sticks and shadows’ experiment thousands of years ago.
The problem arises when the flat earth believers refuse (a choice based on faith rather than logic and facts) to believe the evidence, and furthermore refuse to perform experiments of the scope needed to detect the curvature preferring to stick with their fallacious ‘the horizon looks straight therefore the earth is flat’ argument. Of course we all know that using such a small scale assumption is highly inaccurate, like looking at one person in a town of 1000 and declaring that everyone in that town has blue eyes.
So the short answer to your question would be a further question … Why do flat earth believers refuse to accept the evidence provided, or prove it wrong through real experimentation?..Note: Michael Wilton (who is likely from England, but his profile doesn't say!) fails to recognize that the 'sticks and shadows' experiment of Eratosthenes and others, presumes from the start that the rays coming from the sun are parallel and that the sun is a great distance away from earth, such as hundreds of thousands of miles (or more). As such, "the 'sticks and shadows' experiment thousands of years ago" all by itself, does not "disprove the flat earth." Therefore, his "simple answer" is simply wrong.