A serious question about posting factual information

[Ace-Garageguy]

Speaking of the earth being flat... didja ever wonder how the people back then who were convinced it really was flat pictured "the ends of the Earth?" Was there a big wall around the edges that kept the oceans from spilling over? There had to be something holding back the water. Who built the wall? How did they hold back the oceans while the walls were being built? What was holding back the oceans before the walls were built? What was on the underside of the Earth? How did all the stuff on that side keep from falling off?

There you go, Harry, assuming there were any more critical-thinkers back then than there are now.

[Pete J.]

Speaking of the earth being flat... didja ever wonder how the people back then who were convinced it really was flat pictured "the ends of the Earth?" Was there a big wall around the edges that kept the oceans from spilling over? There had to be something holding back the water. Who built the wall? How did they hold back the oceans while the walls were being built? What was holding back the oceans before the walls were built? What was on the underside of the Earth? How did all the stuff on that side keep from falling off?

Yep, I would have been a real PITA back then!

(and I can already hear many of you thinking "PITA then??? He's a real PITA now!")

Not for long! They would have taken you out and strung you up for heresy, or more likely burned you at the stake. If you had been lucky you might have been in house arrest for life with Galileo. Not really a lot different from how religious extremists think today. Opps, this may have stepped over the political line.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Pete J.

[Harry P.]

Not for long! They would have taken you out and strung you up for heresy, or more likely burned you at the stake. If you had been lucky you might have been in house arrest for life with Galileo. Not really a lot different from how religious extremists think today. Opps, this may have stepped over the political line.

I think you accidentally touched a live wire and then you jumped back!

[sjordan2]

The world is only partly flat. As Ace demonstrated, it's a flat plate on the back of a turtle (or turtles):

"A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the tortoise standing on?" "You're very clever, young man, very clever," said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!"

[Guest Johnny]

Wait. What? The earth isn't flat?!!!

God knows our yard isn't!!!

[Pete J.]

Some people are very capable of denying even in the face of blatant reality. Reminds me of a story my grandmother told of my great grandmother. When airplanes were first becoming common, she refused to believe that man could fly. Flying was the domain of angles and birds. If man were meant to fly God would have given him wings. When an airplane would pass overhead she would fall into a panic of fear and claim that it was the devil rowing his boat across the sky. Religious fervor can cloud the mind of even the most resolute.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Pete J.

[Harry P.]

Religious fervor can cloud the mind of even the most resolute.

You just touched that live wire again.

Are you a slow learner?

[wrecker388]

Bill, you may recall this thread. I believe this goes along with alot of what has been said here. I doubted your word because I figured that since my dad had torn the car down he would have known what was in the car. I believed his word over yours for other reasons too, such as:

1. He is an ASE gold master mechanic, and has been workng on cars since he was my age (he will be able 57 this October)
2. He is my father.
3. I didn't know hardly anything about you at that point in time.

There are also many reasons I believe you are right

1. I later asked my mom what the car had in it transmission wise, (it;s her car anyways)and she said it was a 2-speed
2. He later told me it was a two speed (his memory isn't all that great)

I only asked because I didn't know what was in it, or if it would be possible to convert a 4 speed to an automatic. I could go prove once and for all who is right by going and finding the tranny, but that would involve completely tearing down our storage garage to find it. I hope that this explains why I was doubting your word on that particular subject.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Riley, it's GOOD to doubt answers you get online, especially if you don't really know anything about the source. I remember that thread, and the info I gave you can be verified from many independent sources online that don't quote each other.

There are TONS of things I know NOTHING about, and when that's the case, i leave the answering to the guys who DO know.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

Some people are very capable of denying even in the face of blatant reality.

A very good friend of mine recently stopped seeing a woman he liked rather a lot, because, although seemingly well educated, intelligent and working as a professional, she absolutely refused to accept the concept that the earth orbits the sun, which is a star, and that many of the billions and billions of stars in the heavens are often the centers of planetary systems, 'suns' if you will, much like our own, and further, that many of the "stars" visible in the night sky are in fact other galaxies...groups of millions of stars, very far away.

She said "no they're not. The Sun is the Sun and the stars are the stars and the Earth is the center of everything."

Huh?? In the 21st century someone STILL believes in an Earth-centric universe?

This wasn't anything having to do with religion, either. Simply a profoundly disturbing scientific ignorance, and a flat refusal to accept any evidence contradicting her 'knowledge'.

Unless of course she was putting him on. We'll never know.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Danno]

Some people are very capable of denying even in the face of blatant reality.

Two words: Jodi. Arias.

[Rob Hall]

A very good friend of mine recently stopped seeing a woman he liked rather a lot, because, although seemingly well educated, intelligent and working as a professional, she absolutely refused to accept the concept that the earth orbits the sun, which is a star, and that many of the billions and billions of stars in the heavens are often the centers of planetary systems, 'suns' if you will, much like our own, and further, that many of the "stars" visible in the night sky are in fact other galaxies...groups of millions of stars, very far away.

She said "no they're not. The Sun is the Sun and the stars are the stars and the Earth is the center of everything."

Huh?? In the 21st century someone STILL believes in an Earth-centric universe?

This wasn't anything having to do with religion, either. Simply a profoundly disturbing scientific ignorance, and a flat refusal to accept any evidence contradicting her 'knowledge'.

Unless of course she was putting him on. We'll never know.

Interesting...that view would be in conflict w/ the Flat Earth Society crowd. I used to know someone who claimed she didn't believe in math and that numbers were evil.

[Pete J.]

You just touched that live wire again.

Are you a slow learner?

Nope, just like the jolt

[Danno]

Nope, just like the jolt

Any time I touch the live wire ... or get anywhere close to it ... I hear from Casey. And that ain't fun.

[sjordan2]

You just touched that live wire again.

Are you a slow learner?

Is it OK to dis the Mesopotamians?

[southpier]

must have been an acute angel angle. a cute angel. no; wait.

an acute angle.

this is all getting pretty obtuse . . . .

[Harry P.]

Nope, just like the jolt

Another jolt gets you a point. Three points get you a 30 day forum vacation.

Is it OK to dis the Mesopotamians?

As long as there aren't any in the room.

[Harry P.]

As far as the woman who insisted that the Earth is the center of the universe...

depends on other factors. If she was hot, I'd let her believe anything she wants to believe!

[Tom Geiger]

I read on the Internet that 67.5% of all statistics are just made up anyway!

[Ace-Garageguy]

As far as the woman who insisted that the Earth is the center of the universe...

depends on other factors. If she was hot, I'd let her believe anything she wants to believe!

I've known a lot of women who thought THEY were the center of the universe, and I played along for just that reason.

Interesting...that view would be in conflict w/ the Flat Earth Society crowd. I used to know someone who claimed she didn't believe in math and that numbers were evil.

What an interesting world-view SHE must have had.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

I read on the Internet that 67.5% of all statistics are just made up anyway!

NO IT'S NOT !!!! IT'S 68.2% !!!!! ( ;) )

[Danno]

NO IT'S NOT !!!! IT'S 68.2% !!!!! ( ;) )

I read on the internet that 5 out of 4 people have trouble with fractions 110% of the time.

[Rob Hall]

What an interesting world-view SHE must have had.

I think that was her excuse for doing poorly in math...more of an artist--into dance and sculpture...we weren't that compatible as my world-view is based on math, science, technology, and engineering...

[Tom Geiger]

I once had a girlfriend die of a head injury. I yelled "DUCK!" and she jumped up to see the duck.

[southpier]

next time, try "goose!"

but not on the first date.