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Interesting bit to be found at The Conversation:
Speakers recently flew in from around (or perhaps, across?) the earth for a three-day event held in Birmingham: the UK's first ever public Flat Earth Convention. It was well attended, and wasn't just three days of speeches and YouTube clips (though, granted, there was a lot of this). There was also a lot of team-building, networking, debating, workshops – and scientific experiments.
Yes, flat earthers do seem to place a lot of emphasis and priority on scientific methods and, in particular, on observable facts. The weekend in no small part revolved around discussing and debating science, with lots of time spent running, planning, and reporting on the latest set of flat earth experiments and models. Indeed, as one presenter noted early on, flat earthers try to "look for multiple, verifiable evidence" and advised attendees to "always do your own research and accept you might be wrong".
While flat earthers seem to trust and support scientific methods, what they don't trust is scientists, and the established relationships between "power" and "knowledge". This relationship between power and knowledge has long been theorised by sociologists. By exploring this relationship, we can begin to understand why there is a swelling resurgence of flat earthers.
Interestingly enough, the author delves into philosophy, particularly the work of Michel Foucault, who, for those not familiar with him, traced the relations between knowledge and power, especially in The Archaeology of Knowledge.
In the 21st century, we are witnessing another important shift in both power and knowledge due to factors that include the increased public platforms afforded by social media. Knowledge is no longer centrally controlled and – as has been pointed out in the wake of Brexit – the age of the expert may be passing. Now, everybody has the power to create and share content. When Michael Gove, a leading proponent of Brexit, proclaimed: "I think the people of this country have had enough of experts", it would seem that he, in many ways, meant it.
Ah, that explains so much beyond Brexit! Alternative Knowledge!
And for those who will never read the entire article, bit of the take-away:
In many ways, a public meeting of flat earthers is a product and sign of our time; a reflection of our increasing distrust in scientific institutions, and the moves by power-holding institutions towards populism and emotions. In much the same way that Foucault reflected on what social outcasts could reveal about our social systems, there is a lot flat earthers can reveal to us about the current changing relationship between power and knowledge. And judging by the success of this UK event – and the large conventions planned in Canada and America this year – it seems the flat earth is going to be around for a while yet.
(Score: 1) by suburbanitemediocrity on Saturday May 05 2018, @08:04PM (16 children)
the Earth is, but as an engineer with a mathematics degree, I know what the math is to make stuff work. So show me the math or STFU.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 05 2018, @09:10PM (12 children)
I always wondered how they would make technologies like GPS work, which is based on the "assumption" that the planet is a sphere. I would love to hear an explanation from flat earthers on how that would work in their models.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 05 2018, @09:39PM (5 children)
Mathematical calculatuons are used to convert between curved and flat surfaces. These are called "map projections".
(Score: 1) by suburbanitemediocrity on Sunday May 06 2018, @03:37AM (4 children)
Explain with mathematics why pendulums rotate at the theoretically derived rate or STFU.
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 06 2018, @08:26AM (2 children)
The standard calculations already assume the earth is flat:
http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/336k/Newtonhtml/node59.html [utexas.edu]
How can you have a plane parallel to the Earth's surface if the surface isn't flat?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday May 07 2018, @08:57AM (1 child)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 07 2018, @01:40PM
I think you missed it. The point is whether you would need to make a different assumption if the earth was flat. The answer is no, the derivation works for both.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Sunday May 06 2018, @09:49AM
Ah! Finally someone brings up Foucault's Pendulum [amazon.com]. Different "Foucault", however. Same Pendulum.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Saturday May 05 2018, @09:45PM (2 children)
Here are some "explanations":
https://www.bungie.net/en//Post/221494034?sort=0&page=0 [bungie.net]
https://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?topic=65649.0 [theflatearthsociety.org]
(Warning: your brain may hurt after reading these.)
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 1) by suburbanitemediocrity on Monday May 07 2018, @12:55AM (1 child)
Explanations that contain no math. That's why you always insist on seeing the math as it can be unarguably disproven. End of discussion, no need to waste any more effort on it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 07 2018, @04:45PM
Its not math that is the issue, its the base assumptions/premises. You can have a perfectly fine calculation that is meaningless if it is based on incorrect assumptions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 05 2018, @09:59PM (1 child)
Never underestimate the stupid factor, it's not something flat-earthers have a monopoly on. Creationists, SJW's and Marxists also have a tremendous ability to ignore any and all evidence that does not support their hypothesis. I do wonder what Flat Earthers make of heliocentrism but in the broader context, all sane people are Galileo now.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by suburbanitemediocrity on Sunday May 06 2018, @05:40AM
Having a strong math background is usually enough to shut anybody up.
(Score: 1) by suburbanitemediocrity on Sunday May 06 2018, @03:34AM
I want to see a WGS_FE model or STFU.
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Saturday May 05 2018, @10:18PM (2 children)
You don't need math. Without noteworthy outside influence, any large enough mass will become spherical on its own.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 06 2018, @01:47AM (1 child)
Wot? Are you Ceres-ious?
(Score: 3, Funny) by acid andy on Sunday May 06 2018, @10:02AM
I would have Sedna, but I didn't wanna Makemake a fuss about it.
If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?