Debunking Flat Earth Misconceptions
A magnetic compass is less usable near the poles partly due to magnetic dip. One of the Earth’s poles is much closer and affects the needle more strongly than the other pole. As a result, Earth’s magnetic field pulls the needle toward the ground.
Flat-Earthers claim that a compass is unusable only near Antarctica. In reality, the same also occurs near the North Pole. Magnetic dip, as observed on various locations on Earth, can only happen if the Earth is spherical.
Gravity does not possess repulsive force like magnetism. These are two different phenomena with different characteristics.
Flat-Earthers use the lack of a repulsive force in gravity to deny its existence. In reality, there is no requirement for an attractive force to have a repulsive force. Gravity does not act like magnetism, and the fact does not disprove gravity.
Flat-Earthers reject gravity because it does not support the flat Earth model. To explain the various phenomena explained by gravity, they invented many different ‘alternative facts’ in place of gravity.
Flat-Earthers agree only on a single thing that the Earth is flat. However, as flat Earth is not fact-based, flat-Earthers cannot agree on practically everything else. Different flat-Earth denominations have their alternative explanations for gravity, all of which lacks predictive power and cannot adequately explain real-world facts.
Continue reading “Flat-Earthers’ Alternative Facts for Gravity”
Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole. The opposite poles of the different magnets attract each other, while the same poles of the different magnets repel each other. It is not possible to have a magnet with a single pole.
Flat-Earthers proclaim that Earth cannot be a sphere because if a compass really points to the north pole, then on the equator, it should point 45° downward. They are wrong. A magnet does not only have the north pole, but it also has the south pole which is attracted to the north pole of Earth’s magnetic field. Near the equator, both forces are balanced and pull the compass’ needle to both Earth’s poles at the same time. A perfectly balanced compass will be level near the equator.