How to debate a flat-Earther

[yortsed snacilbuper]

You might not be able to mount such a scientific investigation to your nearest mountain peak. But there is something you can do to witness the curvature of the Earth in the comfort of your own backyard, You just have to be lucky.

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, allowing the Earth to cast its shadow on the moon. That shadow is always, always always a circle, no matter where you are on the planet, no matter the timing of the eclipse. Always..

The only way to always cast a circular shadow is if the thing casting the shadow — in this case, the Earth — is a globe. It’s just a matter of geometry.

the earth is round

[BKDem]

1. Or... sit the flat-earther down, let them get comfortable, and then turn and walk away.

There’s no use trying to reason with crazy people. Save your breath.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. I endorse this method

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

9. It works for Trump supporters, too.

Life is too short to waste a second on these yahoos.

[guillaumeb]

2. But could the earth be a tube? eom

[RainCaster]

3. It's still flat- like a pizza! They will say...

[ProfessorGAC]

11. First Thing I Thought Of

They'll say it's a disk, not a globe.
Can't reason with people who still think the sun moves around the earth.
One question I've had about these people: if it's a disk, what's on the other side? A whole different world that we don't know about, and don't know we're here either?
Or is it just a moonscape? And if so, why is all the stuff and water only on one side?

[lindysalsagal]

15. With people climbing Mt. Everest and the Himalayas, wouldn't someone have pics of the edge???

I mean, how could you keep something that HUGE a secret????

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Airplanes?

Overseas flights are up around 40,000 feet. Higher even than Everest.
Yet, no edge!

[Silent3]

4. Their ability to ignore facts and logic is as well-developed as Trump supporters

They'd rather believe the sky is constructed like some elaborate planetarium, one that deliberately projects round-earth compatible images, than believe the Earth actually is round.

Because, you know, "they" are trying to fool us. For some reason.

[Jeebo]

5. There's also the fact that you can see the Earth's curvature from a plane.

I always notice it when I'm at 35,000 feet.

But now, I am seriously beginning to wonder if I ever will be at 35,000 feet again.

The thought of being inside a hollow metal tube with 200 other people for several hours, all inhaling and exhaling the same air, is just unthinkable to me now.

-- Ron

[Tones2345]

7. I have asked a couple to explain to me how a sundial works on a flat Earth.

I'm still waiting for that answer. That's geometry that could not work in any kind of flat earth scenario. It's all an unproductive circular argument that always has an answer for them leading back to the conspiracy. It's unwinnable, and they are inconvincible until they come to conclusions on their own.

[brush]

17. And speaking of the sun, where does it go at night if the earth is flat?

Underneath the end of the earth in the west when it sets?

And then travels under all the to the other side and rises in the east in the morning?

They'll probably agree, or come up with some other cockeyed theory.

[brooklynite]

8. Why would I want to?

Anyone who accepts such a fringe theory won't be swayed by logical arguments.

[Initech]

10. This is one case where staring at the sun is encouraged!

What shape is the sun? Round. Sit down!

[hunter]

12. Debate is pointless.

I used to debate Creationists, now I just tell them to fuck off and die.

[Squinch]

13. Don't do it! Use the time to give your teeth a really good floss. You'll get much more out of that.

[Towlie]

14. It's easier than that! Just run Google Earth, point to your screen, and say "See?"

Google Earth

[3catwoman3]

16. There is a much more persuasive explanation - cats.

Cats are proof that the Earth is NOT flat. If it were, they would have knocked everything over the edge already.

[marybourg]

19. I still say they're just "owning the libs",

or “ pushing our buttons” as we used to say long ago.

[JHB]

21. How to debate a flat-Earther:

"I don't have time for this shit. Get your head out of your ass. You're going to believe what you want to believe, but I don't have to be party to it." And walk away.

Applies to debating creationists too.

They won't argue in good faith, so don't provide the illusion that they will.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. No; get them to do what people did 2500 years ago to figure out it's round

That is, look at the paths of the stars and the Sun.

Ask them how far "south" ("rimwards", to them?) they've been. How they explain that as you go south towards the equator, new stars come into view. And, as you cross the equator, the stars in the northern hemisphere are circling round Polaris, which is now on the horizon, and there's a second pole opposite it, due south, that the other half of the stars are circling round. Go further south, and you only see the southern celestial pole. Which is why several southern countries put the Southern Cross, which points to it, on their flags. Ask if they think hundreds of millions of people in the "southern hemisphere" countries are lying to them about this.

Or ask them to explain why the sun sets and rises (don't allow the currently-fashionable flat-earther "it's like a spotlight" bollocks - we all know the sun does actually cross the horizon) at different times round the world (which they couldn't know 2500 years ago - we have the advantage of electricity and radio for instant communication). Ask them if they've ever gone east or west enough to go into a new time zone. Or have ever watched TV and seen it's light and dark at different times in different countries.