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Off to Cheddar today to see the folks. I was anticipating a difficult Bank Holiday Weekend drive but it was pimpsy. I looked up at the sky as I drove and wondered how anyone could think the Earth was flat. You can see that the the sky forms a dome above us. Now flat earthers might say that yes, that's right, but the dome of the sky hangs over the plate that is the Earth. If that was the case though, the edge of the dome would have to be at the edge of the flat planet. It's clear though, even when you're not looking out to sea, that the dome is not coming down on the other side of Asia. You can tell it's just a few miles away. So unless we're on some kind of treadmill (even that needs some of the earth to be beneath us) or you think that all the continents are on a plate that is (what?) 50 miles in each direction and you just happen to be in the middle. Surely that's enough to suggest that at least there's a curve going on somewhere. Most likely a curve that turns into an approximate sphere.
I know it's not really worth debating this with the increasing number of people who think that everything is a lie, apart from the crazy stuff that they believe in which is obviously true and I know there are simple other ways to prove that we're on a sphere and that it's unlikely that the number of people who'd have to lie about the round earth thing would manage to keep it going. But look at the sky. Look at the horizon. Look out to sea. Why can you only see a small amount of water and why are ships disappearing over the horizon? I mean why am I bothering? I don't know.
I guess I am just one of the sheeple. We've come so far in understanding stuff and inventing stuff and so close to living in an amazing future of freedom and knowledge, so it's a real shame that really thick people are going to royally fuck it all up for us.
Unlike most things in life, pretty much everyone thinks they're smart. Whilst it's hard to convince the world that you are a world class athlete or virtuoso musician or adequate surgeon unless you actually are (not impossible, but definitely hard), anyone can claim they are clever and there's no real way to convince them they're not. Qualifications mean nothing. I reckon Dr Brian Cox probably knows more about astrology than a man spray painting that the earth is flat on a boarded up shop, but there's nothing he can do to convince that person. Even taking them up into space probably wouldn't do it.
I love stupidity too. It's an important part of the human condition and one that I have made a living from. But most human beings who've ever lived (including those alive now) have been wrong about nearly everything. You have to give slight kudos to the ones who are prepared to be proven wrong by facts or new evidence. But not much more. But come on guys. If you are using google maps on your magic portable computer that can call up anyone in the fucking world, then you have to accept that this is a globe. I won't be entering into correspondence about this one.
