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2017-11-24, 06:57 AM (ISO 8601)
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Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
This story from Washington Post has it all
Originally Posted by Washington Post
...
y'know, if I tried to sell this script in Hollywood it would be rejected as implausible. But hey, THIS IS A-MERICA!
Respectfully,
Brian P."Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."
-Valery Legasov in Chernobyl
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2017-11-24, 07:07 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2007
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- Manchester, UK
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
1,800 feet? He does realise he could quite easily see the Earth from 30,000 feet plus if he just booked an airline flight with a window seat? Or from 14,115 feet if he just took a trip to the top of Pikes Peak...
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2017-11-24, 07:09 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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- Switzerland
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
There was an article online about a few engineers discussing the specifics of the rocket he's building, based monstly on a few interviews he gave and the pictures. I think their consensus was "there's about four ways for him to die before launch and about 20 afterwards."
Steam boilers explode. At much lower pressures than he intends to put his rocket under. They compared it to early locomotives, where the boilers were apparently capable of launching several tons of locomotive through the air considerable distances.
Then, the internal structure. If the motor is badly secured, it will launch forward through the rocket and crush him.
Then, the shape. Apparently, pointy rockets work badly at that speed, which may cause it to tumble. The fins are too small too, as the shape of the nose cone will create a vacuum near the fins.
Then, it may just disintegrate from air resistance.
Then, of course, the acceleration. It will likely knock him unconscious, so he can't deploy the parachutes.
Really, this is not a curiosity anymore, as much as a creative case of suicide.
Edit: part of the conspiracy is of course that airlines are in on it. Whatever you see through their windows is not real. I've read enough Flat Earther posts.
OF course, he could quite easily climb a mountain higher than 1800 feet.Last edited by Eldan; 2017-11-24 at 07:10 AM.
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2017-11-24, 07:19 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2009
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- Finland
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2017-11-24, 07:23 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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- Switzerland
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
Because this has all the hallmarks of a "Florida Man" story.
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2017-11-24, 07:35 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2009
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- Brazil
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
I'm genuinely curious as to what would happen in this man's mind if he somehow managed to climb high enough to see the Earth's roundness with his own eyes (and survive). I'd put about fifty-fifty on tacking on a conspiratorial excuse ("freemasons rigged my goggles!") or having a breakdown as he realizes his entire belief system is built around a lie.
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2017-11-24, 07:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2013
Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
Last edited by snowblizz; 2017-11-24 at 07:55 AM.
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2017-11-24, 07:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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- Switzerland
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
I've seen quite a few people argue that he's not actually genuine and just making money of a kickstarter, with no intention to go through. But who knows.
In my experience, flat earthers are just about the most stubborn conspiracy theorists - which is not a small field - and they absolutely refuse to listen to any argument. They can probably talk their way out. Doesn't matter if your argument is about ships going behind the horizon, the sun's relative position in the sky showing that it's not a small tiny ball just above our heads, about how it is impossible to see northern hemisphere stars in the south, how the southern hemisphere is clearly not that much bigger than the northern one, they will ignore it. Or wiggle their fingers and say "refraction" a lot.Resident Vancian Apologist
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2017-11-24, 08:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
I note that he had this project up and running already and was getting very little funding for it -- then he "converted" to flat eartherism and made the rocket launch about proving their claims, and suddenly the funding floodgates opened.
Perhaps I'm naive, but I think he's a lot more serious about rocketry than flat-eartherism ; that looks more like a convenient marketing ploy to get flat-earther conspiracists to pay his bills. Which worked. PT Barnum, wherever he is, would be proud .
I believe he really is serious about launching in this rocket -- the flat earther bit , by contrast, looks to me more like a conversion of convenience to get more funding.
That said, Eldan's point is extremely well taken that there are several ways for him to die -- but the reason I believe he's serious is because he did something similar in 2014 . And yes, it nearly killed him then.
Respectfully,
Brian P."Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."
-Valery Legasov in Chernobyl
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2017-11-24, 08:56 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2009
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- Finland
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2017-11-24, 09:26 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2007
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- Manchester, UK
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2017-11-24, 09:38 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2014
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- Ontario, Canada
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
Personally, I want him to go through with it.
I mean, he shouldn't, obviously. And if I should ever meet him, I'll say that right to his face; "DON'T DO THIS!". But deep down, in my heart of hearts, I want him to. Not because I think stupid people like this deserve to die for their stupidity, as I rather hope he survives. Not even because I want someone to prove to the flat-earthers that they're morons, because the moment he admits seeing a curve, he'll be one of the elusive "Them".
No, I just want him to do it because I want it to happen. I want to live in a world where people go to space on steam-powered rocket ships they built in their garage, launched from modified RVs ("space" here being defined as "slightly above sea level, geographically speaking").
You go, crackpot steampunk rocketman. I believe in you. Please seek psychiatric assistance immediately.
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2017-11-24, 09:54 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
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- Raleigh NC
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2017-11-24, 09:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2013
Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
That's why I always digged the "Danish Rocketman" he was living out Kerbal Space Program for reals. I won't type out his name because he almost certainly turned out to be a murderer (it's in trial atm), a recent turn that but still. And no it doens't have a lot to do with his space program per se, but dreamers are often crackpots, lovable crackpots until something psuhes them off the edge.
The reason I mention this is mainly because I'm deeply personally disappointed in a guy I actually met once and thought was pretty awesome.Last edited by snowblizz; 2017-11-24 at 09:57 AM.
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2017-11-24, 10:47 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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- Switzerland
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
Except, of course, 1800 is like 500 meters and a bit. He won't see ****.
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2017-11-24, 10:49 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2007
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2017-11-24, 10:58 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2010
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- Somewhere over there ->
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
The problem isn't necessarily that they don't listen. The problem is that they are convinced "Ball Earth" is a lie and all of the evidence that says otherwise is fabricated. Thus it doesn't really matter what you tell them to convince them otherwise. The "evidence" that you provide simply doesn't exist as you believe it to and you've been convinced by a lie.
Many "Flat-Earthers" don't even believe in gravity.
If anyone is willing to see a Flat Earther in action. Here's a video of one of them "debunking" the Vsauce video on the subject.
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2017-11-24, 11:01 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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- Switzerland
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
A lot of them don't listen, too. There's experiments you can do with stuff lying around at home. If you have a phone and a friend who lives in another country, it's even easier. If you show them any proof, they will just put their fingers in their ears and tell you you're lying.
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2017-11-24, 11:15 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2017
Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
I'm a Darwinist. I have no problem when stupid kill themselves doing stupid things. Better that than procreate and spread stupidity.
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2017-11-24, 11:32 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2007
Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
You could take an elevator to a higher altitude than that.
GWInterested in MitD? Join us in MitD's thread.There is a world of imagination
Deep in the corners of your mind
Where reality is an intruder
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Ceterum autem censeo Hilgya malefica est
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2017-11-24, 11:54 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2010
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
The thing is...
ManyMostBasically all of them don't actually want to go prove their theory. They don't want to travel anywhere or go do some science to prove that they're right. They would rather believe that the rest of the world is believing in a lie and that they're in on the Real(!) Truth and those that do don't go nearly far enough with their "Research"
Afterall, the UN would kill them if they tried.
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2017-11-24, 12:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
Ah, yes. Also, NASA. As we called them on another forum, the Nefarious Antarctic Sea Army. The entire space thing is just a distraction. THey actually operate a fleet of warships to stop people from climbing over the ice wall.
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2017-11-24, 12:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
Yeah, I'm aware of all that. I was more trying to add to the sense of scale. When Eldan said "you can climb a mountain taller than that", I thought "well, that's not that bad, there are mountains that peak at cruise altitude". But the highest observation deck of our tallest building gives me a better sense of how not that high he expects to go when he straps himself to a water boiler.
GWLast edited by Grey_Wolf_c; 2017-11-24 at 12:48 PM.
Interested in MitD? Join us in MitD's thread.There is a world of imagination
Deep in the corners of your mind
Where reality is an intruder
And myth and legend thrive
Ceterum autem censeo Hilgya malefica est
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2017-11-24, 12:59 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2009
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
This guy has done a previous rocket flight, which just about killed him, and then tried to kickstarter this one. He got no money. So, he converted to the flat earthers, and relaunched accordingly. Flat earther money poured in.
I suspect he's a guy who really likes steam powered rockets, and sees this as a useful way to get airborne.
Fair enough, I say.
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2017-11-24, 01:55 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2013
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- Over the Rainbow
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
I can see a new Award given to this steampunk wacko in a few days/weeks.
A safer project for him (other than climbing a natural/man-made structure taller than 1800 feet) would be sailing around Antartica on an inflatable boat. Steam-powered, of course (how else will he prevent his toes from freezing). Also, the wall also makes me think of the Ice Age movies. Anyone knows what do they expect to find on the other side of the "wall"? Space sharks? Vikings? Frost giants?Last edited by Lord Joeltion; 2017-11-24 at 01:58 PM.
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2017-11-24, 01:59 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2007
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- Quebec, Canada
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Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
I am genuinely curious about the airline bit... For one thing the screens in the windows would almost have to be more expensive then the rest of the plane, for another you can feel the plane going higher and lower and finally you can.... you know... see planes flying in the air with your eyes and their apparent size gives you a rough idea of how high they are. Those guys are a trip....
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2017-11-24, 02:10 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
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- Raleigh NC
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2017-11-24, 03:02 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2010
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- Somewhere over there ->
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2017-11-24, 04:37 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2007
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- Manchester, UK
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2017-11-25, 06:34 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2004
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- Dijon, France
Re: Of Freemasons, Flat Earth and Steampunk
2 minutes into the video I felt my IQ (or was it sanity?) silently slipping away... It just boggles the mind the logic behind this "movement" (is it a number 2?)... Needles to say, as soon as he got to 'Curvizon', for the sake of my mental well being, I had to slip back into this side of reality and close that link.