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from the good-afternoon,-good-evening,-and-good-night dept.
Multiple Soylentils have written in to let us know about the death of Mike Hughes:
"Mad" Mike Hughes Dies in Rocket Crash
Michael 'Mad Mike' Hughes, staunch flat Earth conspiracy theorist, launched himself into the skies above Barstow in San Bernardino county Saturday, February 22nd.
He was attempting to reach an altitude of ~5000 feet (1,500 meters). Unfortunately his parachute did not open during descent causing him to plummet to his death.
This wasn't Hughes' first rodeo, as the self-taught engineer had made two other attempts, the latest of which was supposed to launch in August 2019. That attempt was grounded by bad weather. Before that, the rocketeer had a successful (albeit bumpy) launch in March 2018, when his homemade rocket reached 1,875 feet (572 m) in altitude over Amboy, California. During that launch, Hughes had to deploy two parachutes to save himself from smashing into the desert. Even so he plummeted back to Earth at 350 mph (563 km/h). He got out of that one with just a sore back, he said at the time.
This launch was only a stepping stone to the eventual goal to proving the Earth was flat.
Would flat-Earth-believer Hughes have been able to see our planet's sphere at 5,000 feet (1,524 m)? Nope. And he knew that, saying he would need to soar past the so-called Kármán line — where the sky ends and space begins, or roughly 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth — to see the curvature with his own eyes.
Two other amateur rocket teams are also attempting to reach the 100 KM point.
DAREDEVIL 'MAD' MIKE HUGHES DEAD AT 64 ... Fatal Rocket Crash Landing
TMZ, though probably at many other venues shortly., I, for one, offer prayers for Mad Mike, and may Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthys judge him with mercy.
'Mad' Mike Hughes is believed to possibly be dead after launching himself in the air with a self-made rocket that crash-landed -- and it was captured on camera.
The well-known daredevil and amateur rocket-engineer was doing a rocket launch Saturday in what appears to be near Barstow, CA -- where a reporter says Mike propelled himself into the air with a "self-made steam-powered rocket" and then crash-landed into the ground.
Not confirmed? Does not matter whether the earth be flat, or just a very large sphere, when you slam into it at speed.
Much more tragic, Mike seemed pretty stoked for the launch this weekend. He posted a video describing his rocket, where it would go down and what he was aiming to achieve. BTW, he was a big flat-earth believer -- and a doc was even made about him trying to prove it.
We've reached out to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Dept. for comment ... so far, no word back. However, we were told by a dispatcher at the Victor Valley Sheriff's Station that a call for service had been placed Saturday out of Barstow -- the nature of which is unclear.
Flat Earther 'Mad' Mike Hughes died when his homemade rocket crashed
Daredevil "Mad" Mike Hughes died Saturday when a homemade rocket he was attached to launched but quickly dove to earth in the California desert.
The stunt was apparently part of a forthcoming television show, "Homemade Astronauts," that was scheduled to debut later this year on Discovery Inc.'s Science Channel. Discovery confirmed the 64-year-old's death in a statement.
"It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey," the company said.
Also at
LA Times, Space, NBC News, and CNN
Previous Coverage:
Flat Earther Manages to Travel One Third of a Mile Into the Sky Using a Steam-Powered Rocket (Takyon)
Federal Government Denies Permission for Flat Earth Researcher's Rocket Launch (Anonymous Coward)
Flat Earther Plans Manned Steam-Powered Rocket Launch (MichaelDavidCrawford)
Original Submission #1 Original Submission #2 Original Submission #3
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 24 2020, @05:11PM (4 children)
Clearly you're a little worked up on the hyperbolic language and missing the forest for the trees. Being a flat-earther is beyond just wrong, and yes a good portion of the country did cheer him on because he was seen as fighting the "intellectuals" that dare tell them about reality.
It isn't a crime to be stubborn, but it isn't some trait to be worshipped. "My opinion is as good as your fact" somehow became accepted as true by a large portion of the country. Well, as long as your opinion jives with white american cultural values, otherwise it will be mocked as stupid and probably tied to someone's ancestry. We all know why this guy is getting a big fat pass.
Keep it classy Soylent News!
(Score: 2) by Coward, Anonymous on Monday February 24 2020, @06:15PM (1 child)
Ah yes, a convenient excuse for being wrong by orders of magnitude is hyperbole. I would just call it "wrong". Next, back away from the initial claim of "clear mental disease" to something vague that "isn't some trait to be worshipped". But the original conclusion is still true, right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 24 2020, @07:47PM
It is a bit hyperbolic, but also quite accurate. Or do you not pay attention to current affairs?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 24 2020, @07:08PM (1 child)
There was a time, like 99.9999% of our history, when we accepted people having differing, and yes this includes outright absurd, views.
I doubt many flat earthers are flat earthers. Rather it's an issue that brings out the absurdity of society today that you can make an overtly absurd statement and people just freak out. Man wanting to chop off his dick, put on a dress, and try to pretend to be a woman? Not only perfectly kosher, but even enforced and protected by laws in some regions. Man stating the earth is flat? Oh my god. Shut him down! He's insane! He's lost his mind! Won't anybody protect the children from such degeneracy!?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 24 2020, @07:49PM
"Oh my god. Shut him down! He's insane! He's lost his mind! Won't anybody protect the children from such degeneracy!?"
Nah, that is some Republican type reaction right there. I prefer to just tell it like it is and let people decide for themselves.
Don't go Full Nazi on me please, I haven't had enough coffee.