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Self-taught rocket scientist that doesn't believe in science plans to launch himself in steam-powered rocket to prove that the world is flat

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/22/self-taught-rocket-scientist-plans-launch-to-test-flat-earth-theory

But, he'll just fall off the edge.

Reading up on him, it seems he only bought into this flat earth thing pretty recently.

I'd almost say he is "buying into it" to fund the attempt.

He is stated as having said:
“I don’t believe in science,” a couple of times.
"I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But that's not science, that's just a formula. There's no difference between science and science fiction."

"It is sponsored by a flat Earth research group, and Hughes plans a subsequent trip to try and observe the flatness of the Earth for himself."

Another link:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/17/11/21/1427235/flat-earther-plans-to-launch-homemade-manned-rocket

He's probably not aware of all the people who strapped a cooler (containing a camera and a GPS) to a weather balloon and took pictures of the earth from actual space (or at least upper atmosphere). It's a lot cheaper and safer, if all you want is to "expose NASA's lies".
And if he want to go 550m high, why the hell does he need a rocket? I mean, he doesn't even believe in planes?

A scientist who doesn't believe in science is using science to disprove science.

Got it.

This is why we don't teach both sides of a subject, one is correct, the other leads people to this kind of madness. I'll never understand how this flat earth notion is making a come back.

sirlynchmob wrote:
This is why we don't teach both sides of a subject, one is correct, the other leads people to this kind of madness. I'll never understand how this flat earth notion is making a come back.

Im with you there, this stuff and those nutters that strait up refuse vaccines and modern medicine because an even bigger nutter gave them a power crystal of healing or think god will do it. gak makes my head hurt, oh well he'll find out soon enough and hopefully wont die because of it

I'm most interested in his Jules Verne tech. Steam-powered spaceship?

sirlynchmob wrote:
This is why we don't teach both sides of a subject, one is correct, the other leads people to this kind of madness. I'll never understand how this flat earth notion is making a come back.

From what I gather it had a resurgence on the internet so I'm willing to bet a bulk of it started with someone trolling or making a joke website or three. Then it spiralled.

Also if there's any money involved you can bet there will be people who will take advantage of an easy earner; or will try to turn it into a money making scheme and syphon off "research" money for their own ends. Heck a lot of the suspect "new age" churches are often little more than various pyramid schemes hiding under religion.

Sadly there's also a bulk of people who will get taken in; who will lack the education to be able to sift the fake from the real science and who will get bought in (some of the people who run this kind of scam are very convincing and powerful speakers).

sirlynchmob wrote:
This is why we don't teach both sides of a subject, one is correct, the other leads people to this kind of madness. I'll never understand how this flat earth notion is making a come back.

Not at all. You can 100% teach both sides of any subject and do so in a responsible way. Watch.

Reality: The earth is generally spherical. Gravity keeps us tethered to it. Here is the mountain of evidence we can work through, piece by piece, illustrating this.

Flat Earth Theory: This is a generally faith-based thing that a handful of people believe. No one generally understands why or how they believe it, but they do and they're super loud about it. As a point of demonstration of how super loud they are about it, there's about 500 people in 7.6 billion that are known to actually subscribe to the theory, and yet somehow you're hearing about it. You're probably less aware about non-abrahamic religions. Think about that a while. (long pause) So anyway, that's that. Hopefully one of them will donate their body to science when they die so that we can take them apart and try to figure out what went wrong, but they're all so stridently anti-reality that they wouldn't want to shatter the grand illusion.

As the kids say nowadays, "ezpz".

550m is high but it's not cuveture of earth high as such.

A plane costs alot less to rent a few flight hours and fly up.
Get alot higher too.

But, a plane can be fitted with fish-eye windows, or be a sound stage in Houston...

He built that rocket with his own hands, and knows every part. There's no way the FBI drugged his water while he was doing it, to make that one slight adjustment to throw out the results of his trip.

Its not Darwin award material if the steam rocket works and is safety tested.

God speed, anti-science scientist!

I realized that the fact that we have cats is proof that the earth couldn't be flat. Because all the cats would be hanging out near the edge, constantly pushing things off the planet into the darkness of space.

sirlynchmob wrote:
This is why we don't teach both sides of a subject, one is correct, the other leads people to this kind of madness. I'll never understand how this flat earth notion is making a come back.

Why are you surprised that there are 500 morons in the world? The bigger surprise is that there are only 500!

WTF is a flat earth research group? Is that kind of like a water is dry research group?

 Xenomancers wrote:
WTF is a flat earth research group? Is that kind of like a water is dry research group?

It's kind of like a homoeopathic research group.

And when this inevitably, and quite possibly literally, blows up in his face, expect the blame to fall on NASA...

All i can say is


If it works it works.

Are they going to stream the launch anywhere? Asking for a friend.....

 d-usa wrote:
I realized that the fact that we have cats is proof that the earth couldn't be flat. Because all the cats would be hanging out near the edge, constantly pushing things off the planet into the darkness of space.

 d-usa wrote:
I realized that the fact that we have cats is proof that the earth couldn't be flat. Because all the cats would be hanging out near the edge, constantly pushing things off the planet into the darkness of space.

The elephants and turtle won't allow it.

I get that stupid people exist. However - how can someone who is stupid think that they are smart?

 Xenomancers wrote:
I get that stupid people exist. However - how can someone who is stupid think that they are smart?

That's why they're stupid.

 Xenomancers wrote:
I get that stupid people exist. However - how can someone who is stupid think that they are smart?

That's neither uncommon nor surprising: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect

It's worth pointing out that he's successfully launched a rocket before. It's the TFA. I'm going to guess that most people aren't smart enough to be able to do something like that. It's probably not stupidity. I'm not sure what it is. Wanton skepticism run wild maybe? A notion taken as faith overruling his ability to reason? Maybe just a boldfaced attempt to cash in on the other crazies as a means of funding his playing with rockets?

That's a trick question....right?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Xenomancers wrote:
I get that stupid people exist. However - how can someone who is stupid think that they are smart?

You can prove the curvature of the earth with a straight edge if your at the ocean.


I swear I thought that was The Onion.

Mork approves!

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:

 Xenomancers wrote:
I get that stupid people exist. However - how can someone who is stupid think that they are smart?

You can prove the curvature of the earth with a straight edge if your at the ocean.

My brain is a little foggy on how, but I think there's a way you can prove it with shadows and trig even.

Edit: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/26427/what-is-the-simplest-way-to-prove-the-earth-is-round

That's got a shadow method along with a bunch of others. Looks like a fun read.