Featured Image Credit: NASA
Topics: Education, NASA, Science, Space, Conspiracy Theory
James Moorhouse
Topics: Education, NASA, Science, Space, Conspiracy Theory
The Flat Earth Society has members all around the globe.
Just a little joke for you to start this article, because that's what this somehow popular theory is: a joke.
Despite nearly everyone over the age of three having a understanding that the Earth is indeed round, flat Earthers keep on coming up with more ridiculous arguments to suggest otherwise, no doubt as part of their so-called 'free-thinking' attitude.
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Over the years, we've had plenty of esteemed scientists explain exactly why the Earth is shaped how it is, including Professor Brian Cox, who doesn't buy into the fact that every single pilot in the world would be part of this apparent conspiracy.
Although it was Aristotle and Pythagoras who were among the first to suggest that the Earth is spherical back in Ancient Greek times, it is somehow still up for debate, and the advancements in technology have also put a stopper in these 'theories' - with one astronaut flipping his camera and giving pretty conclusive proof that he's got a big round planet looking back at him.
Of course, a flat aarther would probably argue that the many moon landings and space trips are also fake.
Thankfully, a NASA scientist has now given a brutal but basic response to the age-old question, which surely even the most determined conspiracy theorist can't disprove.
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Dr James Garvin, chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, was asked how we know that the Earth isn't flat.
He made a reference to the famous marine explorers of the 16th century, including Sir Francis Drake, in his reply, as these great sailors wouldn't have set off on their journey if they had to turn back around, rather than going around the world by sea.
He said: "They made the first orbit of Earth by sea. If the Earth were flat, they would have sailed off the end."
Although this should be the end of the argument, Dr Galvin has several more examples to put down flat Earthers' theories.
He added: "At the dawn of the space age, in the late 50s and 60s, we were able to see for ourselves that our beautiful home is a gorgeous round object known as a sphere.
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"And that was really special – it put ourselves into context of our solar system and our universe.
"We have a big round sun and a beautiful round Earth and a round Mars.
"The roundness of our solar system and our universe is a special thing and we should embrace that as we understand why our planet isn’t flat."