Things you’ll need: A flight ticket, a long straight stick and a tape measure.Īs theoretical physicist Ethan Siegel explains in great detail, you, me and B.o.B have something in common: we can use the sun to witness the curvature of the Earth. So let’s ignore the moon for now and examine the other member of the eclipse trifecta: the sun.Įxperiment 2: Take a trip to San Francisco and Seattle The Flat Earth Society does admit that the moon, the sun and other planets are indeed spherical, but claim that the “Earth is not a planet,” and unlike other celestial bodies, is flat. You might respond, “You’ve shown the Earth is round, but couldn’t it be round, but still flat - a flat disc?” Well, your eyes and telescope would also spot the 3D spherical nature of the moon. If you look closely while this happens, you would notice that the Earth’s shadow forms an arc as it creeps across our view of the moon.Ī combination photo shows the moon during a total lunar eclipse as seen from Mexico City, April 15, 2014. Things you’ll need: functioning eyes, the moon, and a telescope (optional).Įvery now and again, the Earth passes between the moon and the sun, completely blocking its light and casting a shadow across the moon called a lunar eclipse. So without further ado, here are seven ways that B.o.B, Miss Tequila or any round-Earth denier can convince themselves that the Earth is indeed round.
You’re here for experiments!Īny mere mortal can validate our planet’s shape with basic household items like lamps, rulers and soccer balls. Christopher Columbus is often miscredited for correcting this idea and discovering the Earth’s curves by not sailing off its edge, but in fact, it was Ancient Greeks, such as Aristotle and Pythagoras, around 2,400 – 2,600 years ago, who first proposed that the Earth was round.īut you’re not here for a history lesson. Flat Earth thinking dates back thousands of years, when early societies like the Sumerians, Babylonians and Ancient Egyptians believed that the planet resembled a pancake.
Tweets were exchanged on both sides, and eventually, rap songs too.ĭear as an astrophysicist I don’t rap, but I know people who do. On Monday, musician B.o.B took up the mantle on Twitter, spurring a spicy conversation with noted astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. I ask because an Internet conversation has surfaced among celebrities like former television personality Tila Tequila whereby they state the Earth is flat.
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