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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not understand how some can believe the earth is flat?

210 replies

crunchymint · 25/05/2018 14:02

I have a friend who seems intelligent, well read and is lovely. And yet she believes the earth is flat. She shares on social media posts "explaining" this fact.
How can someone like this possibly believe this? I really don't understand.

OP posts:
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A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 17:53

suggests that it's just raring to go wherever there's free energy and water. In fact, based on the one example we have (so far) it's arguable that life under those conditions is inevitable

Indeed but there is something very important to consider.

When single cell life forms existed on Earth it took almost 2 billion years to evolve from that state into a more complex state. Who knows what happened for them to make that jump.

I'd say life may be raring to go but intelligent life is far, far more rare in the Galaxy and it's possible we could be alone, as intelligent beings, especially when you counter in all the things that had to happen to let mammals be the superior species on the planet.

DGRossetti · 25/05/2018 17:54

flat earthers who insisted that the Japanese bombing of pearl harbour was a conspiracy because aircraft at that time period couldn't have made it that far

maybe related to a flat-earther my brother met that insisted Pearl Harbour was "in America" on the west coast near San Francisco Hmm.

Apparently atlases have been deliberately printed wrong to cover it up. It's all a CIA plot. Funnily enough he hadn't heard of the conspiracy theory my brother told him about, which was that the CIA was actually an FBI plot, and didn't really exist. Kennedy found out when he took office, so had to go. The clue was in the fact that if you rearrange the initials of the secret service agents assigned to Kennedy that day, they are an anagram, in latin, of the first line of Revelations.

DGRossetti · 25/05/2018 17:57

we could be alone, as intelligent beings

to be honest, I feel that reading this thread Smile ...

JassyRadlett · 25/05/2018 17:57

I would think it fairly obvious that flight recorder in the cockpit was destroyed in the explosion on impact.

Er, no. You had the impact of the planes, and then you had a fire that burned hotter as it consumed the plentiful fuel available inside the building and spread, particularly as utility shafts were exposed, and then you had the collapse. Those things weren’t simultaneous despite talk of ‘fireballs’.

In the meantime it’s quite feasible that one (light, non-structural) item was blown clear while another (heavier, bolted in, different part of aircraft) was destroyed.

But correct to the person who called derail! Sorry, shouldn’t try to debunk conspiracy theories, it’s a bit of a pointless endeavour. Grin

MiggeldyHiggins · 25/05/2018 18:01

I don't know if you've looked into quantum physics but it's extremely "woo"

its really not, it just seems that way to people who don't understand it. Which is most people.

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:02

ts really not, it just seems that way to people who don't understand it

Explain the double slit experiment for me please. In a non "woo" way.

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:05

Sorry, shouldn’t try to debunk conspiracy theories

Indeed because at this moment in time you've debunked the square root of zero.

MiggeldyHiggins · 25/05/2018 18:07

No thank you. I'm not wasting my time explaining anything to anyone who thinks physics is woo Hmm You're not going to get it anyway

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:09

No thank you. I'm not wasting my time explaining anything to anyone who thinks physics is woo

You mean you can't? Ha ha.

I said quantum physics is a bit "woo" - Not things like Relativity.

MissConductUS · 25/05/2018 18:09

You can try and belittle me if you like. A passport survived the impact and resulting fireball. A flight recorder didn't.

What's scientific about that?

Simple physics. Lighter objects were thrown clear, heavier ones were not. The FDR's are also secured to the structure of the airframe, loose objects were not.

www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/02/13/why-wasnt-one-single-black-box-recovered-from-any-of-the-crashes-on-911/#7fde0a9f1be3

"Despite a few unsubstantiated claims—some by known attention seekers (liars) no credible sources reported the recovery of any recorders from the World Trade Center site. This isn’t that surprising. Most of the identifiable aircraft wreckage was in the form of dense, strong parts from the landing gear and engine cores, and lighter pieces that were thrown clear of the site entirely. This is part of flight 11 found several blocks away on Cedar Street:

[picture of more aircraft wreckage]

The flight recorders are unlikely to have been so lucky. Contrary to popular opinion, they are far from indestructible, and are not designed to withstand either high energy impacts (which have rarely ever occurred) or prolonged fire (the fuel spilled from a crash in open terrain spreads out, burns, and is gone).

They certainly are not meant to withstand the concrete grindstone of a hundred story building collapse. If they were inside the structure, they would have been heavily damaged, likely melted, then ground into sawdust. Certainly, they would have been torn open and the bright orange paint would have been gone. It would have taken a miracle for anyone to recognize one if it fell on an NTSB inspector’s boot.

Still, you never know. A piece of landing gear was found eleven years after the attack, wedged out of sight in a narrow gap between 50 Murray Street and 51 Park Place, three blocks away. If someone hadn’t noticed the Boeing name on a serial number tag, they’d have tossed it out and not given it another thought.

And that’s likely what happened to the recorders."

SimonBridges · 25/05/2018 18:09

I have two people telling me on this thread that the planes that hit the towers didn't enter the building. Apparently I'm the crazy one and they are sane.

No. You had people tell you that the planes didn’t entirely enter the building. Different thing.

JassyRadlett · 25/05/2018 18:10

Indeed because at this moment in time you've debunked the square root of zero.

There there. Don’t worry. I’ll leave you, your fireball, your magic passport and your melted steel alone and far away from facts. Wink

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:10

You're not going to get it anyway

For a layperson I have quite a good understanding of QP. I think I have gotten why the DS experiment pans out as it does. I think.

You, on the other hand are just blagging.

MiggeldyHiggins · 25/05/2018 18:10

You mean you can't? Ha ha

Do you have trouble understanding what is written? I said I won't, not that I can't.
If 4 letter words confuse you so much, its no wonder quantum physics is so very far beyond you.

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:15

Do you have trouble understanding what is written? I said I won't, not that I can't

You won't because you can't, I doubt you'd even heard of the DS experiment are now googling for all your worth. Don't blag me.
.

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:17

Miss Conduct,

I need to go now, It's pub O'clock in the UK, I will post again tomorrow. Cheers.

MiggeldyHiggins · 25/05/2018 18:17

So you're a mind reader over the internet now? How impressive. Can you explain to us all the physics of that phenomena?

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:18

I’ll leave you, your fireball, your magic passport and your melted steel alone and far away from facts

Sorry, it's you who believe in the magic passport, not me. I also didn't mention melted steel. The fireball is on the videos of the planes hitting the buildings, I suggest you refresh your memory.

SimonBridges · 25/05/2018 18:19

I’ve heard it said that if you think you understand quantum physics then you don’t.

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:20

Can you explain to us all the physics of that phenomena?

You want me to explain the experiment to you? You've presented yourself as the expert, why don't you?

Are you 12?

MiggeldyHiggins · 25/05/2018 18:21

No dear, as I clearly said the physics of you being able to mind read over the internet. Its ok, we can see you are confused, go on and get yourself a drink.

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:21

I’ve heard it said that if you think you understand quantum physics then you don’t

I've read and watched so much information on the double split experiment I know think I know why it happens. As for the rest of QP - not a fecking clue.

MiggeldyHiggins · 25/05/2018 18:21

I've read and watched so much information on the double split experiment I know think I know why it happens

you don't.

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:22

No dear, as I clearly said the physics of you being able to mind read over the internet. Its ok, we can see you are confused, go on and get yourself a drink

I think I will, you should get one too. Blagging is thirsty work I hear.

A4710Rider · 25/05/2018 18:23

you don't

I think I do.