When was the last time that you thought the earth was round? What made you stop believing that it is? Or, rather, what made you believe that it’s flat? Although I can see why you might think that some of the evidence makes sense at first glance, I don’t think it’s very logical.
One argument that someone might have against the idea that earth is a globe is that only a select few have been in space to actually see it. That means that everyone else only has pictures to back up their round-earth beliefs. While I can’t say that I’ve been to space, I can say that flat-earthers believe that there is a 150-foot tall ice wall surrounding earth that no one has seen either. I believe it’s clear to see why most people believe in the globe, it’s at least more believable. Now, someone might say “No, the government is lying to everyone! The pictures are Photoshopped!” Well, while the first part might be true about some other topics, I don’t think that the latter is true because why would they, and every other space program around the world, take the time to edit so many pictures?
Another argument is that if the earth were round, all the water would just fall off the face of the earth. To that, I say: gravity. Even if you believe in a flat earth, I am sure that you think gravity is real, right? You’re not falling off earth, are you? In the same way, water stays on the planet because gravity pulls it in towards the center.
If you look at other planets, which you can do by looking at pictures or using a telescope, you can see that other planets are globe-shaped and spinning. If earth is another planet, it should, and does, too.
I will give flat-earthers one thing though, “Because of the force caused when Earth rotates, the North and South Poles are slightly flat. Earth’s rotation, wobbly motion and other forces are making the planet change shape very slowly, but it is still round.” So, you’re not completely wrong, it’s just not applied as extremely as you think.
Andrea Tapia – The Thacher School – DMSF
Sources:
Dunbar, Brian. “What Is Earth?” NASA, NASA, 16 June 2015, www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-earth-58.html.
“Know the Ten Interesting Facts That Prove the Earth Is Round.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/video/185544/reasons-Earth.
Lewis, Danny. “The Curious History of The International Flat Earth Society.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 29 Jan. 2016, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/curious-history-international-flat-earth-society-180957969/.
Picheta, Rob. “The Flat-Earth Conspiracy Is Spreading around the Globe. Does It Hide a Darker Core?” CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Nov. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/11/16/us/flat-earth-conference-conspiracy-theories-scli-intl/index.html.Schadewald, Robert J. “Earth Orbits? Moon Landings? A Fraud! Says This Prophet.” The Flat-out Truth, www.lockhaven.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm.