Simulating Atmospheric Refraction

[petermarkley]

One of my recent adventures in the land of debunking flat earth … simulating atmospheric refraction!

My code for the simulation is on GitHub here:

GitHub - petermarkley/atmos_sim: Simulating a turbulent globe atmosphere, and its refractive effects on long-range observations, to silence flat earthers

Simulating a turbulent globe atmosphere, and its refractive effects on long-range observations, to silence flat earthers - petermarkley/atmos_sim

github.com

I made a more complete presentation of it in this video:

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I’m sure you can imagine how much Flerfs loved this one

And the part at the end where I say:

A silhouette is the absence of light in the same sense that a pothole is the absence of road. Saying “a silhouette can’t refract because it’s not light” is like saying “a pothole can’t be shaken by an earthquake because it’s not asphalt.”

… You’ll never guess how they responded to that

 

[Retro]

Nice, detailed debunk, far above the intellectual level of any flat earther to comprehend it, sigh. Seriously, I think flat earth is a delusion severe enough to be classified as a mental illness.

I think the thread and video below complement your post nicely, check them out.

Earth's curvature: Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (flat earthers look away now)

I like bridges and I especially like the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, USA. Such a great feat of engineering and the first bit was actually built in the 1950s. The lake it crosses - in a dead straight line - is so big, that the far shore, at around 23.875 miles, is actually over the...

nerdzone.uk

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[petermarkley]

Seriously, I think flat earth is a delusion severe enough to be classified as a mental illness.

Yes, a mental illness perhaps ... But I think analyzing it as a religious cult makes a bit more sense. Blind dogma is a heck of a drug.

 

[Retro]

Oh, a religious cult for sure, totally.

 

[Tiffany]

Thank you for sharing your earth refraction simulation. Your simulation completely and visually clears any doubt about the earth's shape and I challenge any flat-earther to come and debate this here at NZ. The earth is clearly round and always has been.

 

[petermarkley]

I challenge any flat-earther to come and debate this here at NZ.

lol Be careful what you wish for. In my experience flat earthers do not play nice or fair in debates …

 

[Retro]

I challenge any flat-earther to come and debate this here at NZ.

Oh, I have a suitably stupid proof that the earth is flat: look across the road to the building opposite you. Do you see any curvature, or is it completely flat? Of course it's flat, hence the earth is flat!! <Retro feels suitably smug and clever>

 

[Tiffany]

lol Be careful what you wish for. In my experience flat earthers do not play nice or fair in debates …

Omg, seriously? I suppose "they" have big flat-earther conventions too?

Oh, I have a suitably stupid proof that the earth is flat: look across the road to the building opposite you. Do you see any curvature, or is it completely flat? Of course it's flat, hence the earth is flat!! <Retro feels suitably smug and clever>

Haha! I suppose if you wanted to nerd your clever observation, there's probably a math equation to the answer of, "at what point from where you are standing does the earth in the distance have its classic curve in view?" So how many miles, or kilometers of distance does it take to see the earth's curve?

 

[petermarkley]

Saying “a silhouette can’t refract because it’s not light” is like saying “a pothole can’t be shaken by an earthquake because it’s not asphalt.”

… You’ll never guess how they responded to that

Nobody took a guess at this, so I’ll tell you:

They doubled down.

And then I filmed and published a video literally demonstrating that shadows do refract.

… And the flat earthers doubled down AGAIN.

This shows how utterly incapable they are of self-evaluation. Many of them cannot, for even a moment, consider that they could be wrong–on anything. And I have seen several get dodgy on basic math questions like 1+1=2.

One lesson I have learned: you cannot underestimate them. You will be disappointed almost every time. Whatever you think might be simple enough to persuade or communicate to them, it’s too complicated. Whatever you expect their beliefs or arguments to be, their actual beliefs or arguments are dumber. It’s a steady and reliable truth.

 

[Mars]

Oh, I have a suitably stupid proof that the earth is flat: look across the road to the building opposite you. Do you see any curvature, or is it completely flat? Of course it's flat, hence the earth is flat!! <Retro feels suitably smug and clever>

I'd agree with your convincing argument.
In fact, I also have an argument employing the same logic, here it is:
A mouse has four legs and a tail.
A cat has four legs and a tail.
(YES, I counted them).
Therefore a cat is a mouse!

Now I also feel suitably smug and clever, and don't anyone go argue with me, because I have just proven it. Oh, and that cat/mouse lives on Flat Earth.