Flat Earth debunks - The conspiracy

{{pseudoastronomy}}
{{ArticleSeries|Flat Earth|the Flat Earth}}
[[Flat_Earth|Flat-Earthers]] have made several incorrect claims that the shape of the Earth is being hidden. This article refutes claims made by flat-Earthers about their crank conspiracy.

== "But NASA means ''"deceive"'' in Hebrew" ==

[[Etymological fallacy|Why do you need evidence when you can play word games, right!?]]

...

(*Sigh*) Anyway. Firstly, ''nasa'' or ''nāśā'' (נָשָׂא) in Modern [[Hebrew]] means "to lift, carry or to take."<ref>{{Cite web |title=H5375 - nāśā' - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv)|url=https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h5375/kjv/wlc/0-1/|access-date=2023-07-28 |website=Blue Letter Bible |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nasa' Hebrew Meaning - Old Testament Lexicon (KJV) |url=https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/nasa.html |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=biblestudytools.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hebrew Word of the Week - Nasa' |url=https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Glossary/Word_of_the_Week/Archived/Nasa/nasa.html |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=www.hebrew4christians.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Strongs's #5375: nasa' - Greek/Hebrew Definitions - Bible Tools |url=https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Lexicon.show/ID/H5375/nasa.htm |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=www.bibletools.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Strong's Hebrew Search: Nasa |url=http://biblehub.net/searchhebrew.php?q=Nasa |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=biblehub.net}}</ref> ''Nāšā''' does mean "to delude or deceive" but it's pronounced as "naw-shaw"<ref name=":naw-shaw" /> because "is indicated in the transliteration by the diacritic above the s, that's called a caron" as bible scholar Dr. Dan McClellan points out.<ref name=":0">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQv2NktMBPY Is Satan Using NASA to Deceive Us All?] by Dan McClellan (Apr 29, 2023) ''YouTube''.</ref> That's why it's also written as "nâshâ" or "nasha".<ref name=":naw-shaw">{{Cite web |title=H5377 - nāšā' - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) |url=https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h5377/kjv/wlc/0-1/|access-date=2023-07-28 |website=Blue Letter Bible |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What Does NASA Mean In Hebrew? {{!}} World Events and the Bible |url=https://worldeventsandthebible.com/nasa-in-hebrew |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=worldeventsandthebible.com}}</ref> The closest word to "deceive" would be ''nashar'' which doesn't even sound like NASA. McClellan also claims this word never appears in the Bible either.<ref name=":0" /> And that's not to mention that NASA is an acronym, not a normal word. Keep in mind that this is supposedly a secret [[Satanic]]/[[Freemasons|masonic]] organization that apparently managed to fool the world's population via very elaborate conspiracies yet leaves obvious clues in its very name as to what its true intentions are. Not to mention... are bible scholars also paid by NASA too? It's also [[Antisemitism|really interesting]] that flat-earthers found a Hebrew word that sounds vaguely similar to "NASA", and decided that's where the name came from.

Pathetic, right?  ...But that's what we've come to in this day and age.  It will come as no surprise that Moon landing deniers like to drag up this canard as well.

== "But NASA's secret documents admit the Earth is flat and non-rotating!" ==
[[File:User's Manual for Interactive LINEAR A FORTRAN Program to Derive Linear Aircraft Models.png|thumb|200px|right|Flat-earther's [[cherry-picking]].]]

These cited NASA (apparently NASA is a trustworthy source for flat-earthers now...) "secret" documents (that can easily be found on Google) often are {{wpl|flight dynamics}} studies and simulations from the 90-80s<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Staff |first=National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19890005752/downloads/19890005752.pdf|title=Derivation and Definition of a Linear Aircraft Model |date=1988 |publisher=Independently Published |isbn=978-1-7309-8974-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Antoniewicz |first=Robert F. |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19880012356/downloads/19880012356.pdf |title=User's Manual for Interactive LINEAR: A FORTRAN Program to Derive Linear Aircraft Models |date=1988 |publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Scientific and Technical Information Branch |language=en}}</ref> or even the 50s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Administration |first=United States National Aeronautics and Space |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KoozfDeNJ_EC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=RA9-PA27&dq=NASA+flat+and+nonrotating+earth&hl=es |title=INVESTIGATIONS OF NEW RADAR-DATA-REDUCTION TECHNIQUES USED TO DETERMINE DRAG CHARACTERISTICS OF FREE-FLIGHT VEHICLE |date=1959 |publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration. |language=en}}</ref> These papers stated those assumptions to simplify their mathematical calculations (especially since they didn't have fancy computers like today) as a form of an {{wpl|Idealization (philosophy of science)|ideal model}}. 

{{cquote|1=The need for linear models of aircraft for the analysis of vehicle dynamics and control law design is well known. These models are widely used, not only for computer applications but also for quick approximations and desk calculations.<ref name=":1" />}}

Ideal models are very useful and widespread in science (see for example an {{wpl|ideal gas}} or an {{wpl|Simple gravity pendulum|ideal pendulum}}). Though technically wrong, they are accurate enough for practical purposes at that scale (see again: ''[[Flat_Earth#Relativity_of_wrong|Relativity of wrong]]''). 

For example, some other assumptions are "a rigid aircraft of constant mass" and a "stationary atmosphere",<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> which neither exists.<ref>Aircrafts do bend a lot, especially on the wings, and consume fuel during flight, so their mass decreases over time. Regarding the "stationary" atmosphere, tornados are a thing, so...</ref> The documents might as well have assumed a {{wpl|spherical cow}} and flat earthers would believe it too, presumably. Ironically, these papers also assume [[gravity]], which, as we have shown in sections above, [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_The_Earth#.22Gravity_does_not_exist.21.22|flatties don't believe in]]... 

In any case, there are flight dynamics that assume spherical models too,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-02 |title=Flight Dynamics: the Assumption of Flat & Non-Rotating Earth for Simplification |url=https://flatearth.ws/aircraft-model |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=FlatEarth.ws |language=en-US}}</ref> so there isn't really a point here, just a [[red herring]].

=="But there are whistleblowers!"==

In his [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFfSDrJeb0c crank video about whistleblowers] Eric Dubay 
[[quote mining|quote mines]]
 presents following flat Earth "whistleblowers":

=== Wernher von Braun ===

Flat-eathers have pointed out that 
[[nazi]]
 NASA aerospace engineer {{wpl|Wernher von Braun}} mentioned a {{wpl|firmament}} in his grave, kinda making both a [[deathbed conversion]] and [[etymology]] argument:

[[File:Wernher von Braun HagenU.jpg|thumb|center|Von Braun's grave citing ''{{bible|Psalm|19|1}}'' :{{cquote|The heavens declare the glory of God; and the '''''firmament''''' sheweth his handywork.|||[[King James version]]}}]]

As fun as word games are for [[Flat_Earth#Christian_flat_Earth_apologetics|christian flat Earth apologetics]], they are going to need more than just a tombstone to prove that von Braun meant for "firmament" a "solid dome to separate the primal sea" rather than the "[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firmament 
fucking
 sky]" as the rest of the English-speaking world does. At best it shows that von Braun was a deeply religious man. To interpret this in any other way requires several assumptions that you'd never make unless [[Circular reasoning|you're starting from the conclusion that the Earth is flat]]. 

Btw, [[Flat_Earth#Antisemitism|it's not a coincidence flatties use nazi people to support their beliefs... ]]

=== Robert Simmon ===
[[File:BlueMarble-2001-2002.jpg|thumb|Robert Simmon's ''Blue Marble'' composite images (2002).]]
[[File:Blue Marble 2002.png|thumb|The "flat map" that Simmon referred as the "hard part" of all the process to make. We wonder why...]]

{{wpl|Robert_Simmon|Robert Simmon|,}} the creator of the 2002 {{wpl|The_Blue_Marble#Imaging_series_2001–2004|Blue Marble}} image. Dubay claimed Simmon had said that 

{{cquote|"''NASA's Earth images are not photographed, but in fact, photoshopped, and created completely through CGI artistry. My job is mostly taking data sets and making pictures out of them. The Earth is photoshopped, but it has to be''".}} Similarly in another interview, he summarized: {{cquote|"''My role is to make imagery from Earth sciences data. I turn data into pictures''".}} The reason this is done was explained over ten years ago in a Quartz [https://qz.com/192700/the-guy-who-created-iphones-earth-image-explains-why-he-needed-to-fake-it article]. Briefly, NASA's Earth observing satellites are in low Earth or geostationary orbit, so they can't snap a photo of the entire Earth. Individual frames are combined in an image editor, creating a "flat map" to wrap it around a ball, and the gaps in sea that result from this photo are filled in. So in this case, "photoshopped" doesn't equal "faked", and Dubay is lying about the satellite imagery being CGI. Interestingly, Simmon also mentioned in the interview that the "hard part" of all of this was making that "flat map" of the entire Earth ([[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_The_Earth#.22Gravity_does_not_exist.21.22|we wonder why would that be hard to do on "flat" Earth]], or why Dubay [[cherrypicking|cherry-picked]] that part tho).<ref>[https://www.nasa.gov/people-of-nasa/robert-simmon-aka-mr-blue-marble/ Robert Simmon – AKA Mr. Blue Marble]</ref> So... Not a great start, Eric...

=== Matthew Boylan (AKA Math Powerland) ===

Dubay describes Boylan as follows: {{cquote|"''A hyper-realist painter, and vocal flat-earther, who claims to be a former NASA Operational Graphics Manager, has also blown the whistle. Saying that NASA's sole reason for existence, is to propagandize the public, and promote the false heliocentric model of the cosmos. He claims to have done various projects, photoshopping images of the Earth, stars, and planets, and has relayed anecdotes about meetings with NASA officials where they openly admitted the entire hoax, and laughed hysterically at the brainwashed zombies who unquestioningly believe their televisions.''"}}

Boylan's stand-up routine condemned NASA for creating concept art for its missions. NASA has a [https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/feature/artist?start=0 long list] of images created by artists. Each of those is marked with "(Artist's Concept)". If Boylan thought that was lying to the public, it's on him. Having brought nothing with him as a proof of the conspiracy, leaves us with with Boylan's word. How much is that worth? Boylan seems like someone with the integrity of a man who [https://youtu.be/dAxFku1pI14?feature=shared&t=35 makes fun of people with disabilities]. 

Also, as shown by the documentary Behind the Curve, there's a massive feud between Boylan and Mark Sargent about the cult's internal power dynamics. The documentary explains how Boylan, who titled himself "the originator", LARPed a pretentious artist who didn't give interviews, and who completely lost his marbles after Sargent took his place as the face of the movement. Boylan started calling Sargent a government shill. To quote Sargent: "''Matt wanted to be the king of flat Earth, but he wanted to do it in his own terms.''" Boylan became a drama queen who rejected invitations to the cult's meetings, and who posted rants that accused Sargent of working for Warner Brothers that "''has a deal with pentagon and the CIA''". According to the filmmakers, Boylan refused to appear in the film without "''receiving $5000, 12% of profits, creative control, a guarantee that he'd be featured in 25-50% of the film, and that Neflix support his unverified claim that Mark Sargent is secretly a Warner Brothers executive using an alias''." The filmmakers deadpanned: "''We were unable to meet his demands.''"

This shows Boylan has been more concerned about what's in it for him, and getting back at those who try to outshine him, than collaborating and exposing the "lie". It's almost like he knows it's a grift.

In the film, Boylan claimed he was the one who originally inspired {{wpl|Edward_Snowden|Edward Snowden}} to blow the whistle. Snowden, who left his girlfriend and upper middle-class life, who actually endangered his life to reveal [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/03/edward-snowden-nsa-surveillance-guardian-court-rules illegal] {{wpl|Mass_surveillance|mass surveillance|,}} who delivered thousands of documents to journalists, and who has shown he [https://youtu.be/Hv3UC4lz3oQ?feature=shared&t=469 doesn't tolerate grifters], might disagree with Boylan's assessment.

=== Igor Petrovitš Volk ===

Dubay: "In a live 2014 television interview with Bulgarian News-7, soviet cosmonaut {{wpl|Igor Petrovitš Volk}}, awarded the hero of the Soviet Union medal, said outright, that, quote: ''‘We have never been to space, and if somebody claims otherwise, it is not true‘''."

As can be seen from the [https://youtu.be/rD4AvOwx9wk?feature=shared&t=1332 full interview] (with automatically generated subtitles on), the topic is ''existence of extraterrestrial life''. Both the interviewer and Petrovich clearly show they have a tongue-in-cheek, and the context of what Petrovich said, is clearly "''we do not talk about what we see in space and if anyone asks, we deny even having been there''". The context was '''not''' that humans have never been to space.

=== Buzz Aldrin ===

Dubay: "{{wpl|Buzz_Aldrin|Buzz Aldrin}}, visibly inebriated in a 2015 interview with an eight-year-old girl named Zoey, at the National Book Festival in Washington DC, was asked ' ''Why hasn't nobody been to the moon in such a long time?'' ' After a pause, he answered, ''That's not an eight-year-old's question, that's my question. I want to know, but I think I know. Because we didn't go there, and that's the way it happened. And if it didn't happen, it's nice to know why it didn't happen, so in the future, if we want to keep doing something, we need to know why something '''stopped''' in the past that we wanted to keep it going.''"

The quote is technically accurate (in that Aldrin did say those words), but '''a)''' the emphasized word ''right there'' disproves what Dubay is implying, and '''b)''' he's quote-mining as usual, and lying by omission (in context, it's obvious that "we didn't go there" is shorthand for "we didn't go ''back'' there"). The [https://youtu.be/Y4UP6nRMuGs?feature=shared&t=436 full answer] continues: 

{{cquote|"Umm. '''Money.''' Is a good thing. If you want to buy new things, new rockets, instead of keep doing the same thing over, then it's going to cost more money, and other things need more money too, so '''having achieved what the president wanted us to do''',<ref group=note>Basically, there was no funding, as the dick measuring contest between the US and USSR moved to the next thing (space stations like {{wpl|Salyut_programme|Salyut|,}} {{wpl|Skylab|Skylab|,}} and {{wpl|Mir|Mir}}), and because there's been very few reasons to go back there, as explained [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyu8jdUqzc8 here].</ref> and then what thousands, millions of people in America, and millions of people '''around the world''' — You know when we toured '''around the world''' after we came back, the most fascinating observation as we -- was signs that said "we did it", not just us, not just America, but we, the world, different country, they felt like they were part of what we were able to do and that made us feel very good."}}

Last but certainly not least, were Aldrin a flat Earth whistleblower, would he have [https://youtu.be/OROlF8zB9z0?feature=shared&t=51 punched] a "fellow activist" in the fucking face?

=== Mirosław Hermaszewski ===

Dubay: "Even more recently, in a live 2019 television interview, the first and last Polish astronaut and national hero {{wpl|Mirosław_Hermaszewski|Mirosław Hermaszewski}}, 40 years after his flight to space when asked ' ''you have been there, is the Earth really a sphere hanging in outer space?'' ', he shockingly replied ' ''Earth is flat, as some have suspected. I didn't expect this question, but I assure you it is flat.'' '"

As [https://flatearth.ws/hermaszewski FlatEarth.ws] points out:

"''In the interview, he received some ridiculous questions, and he answered them with equally ridiculous answers in a joking tone, including the question at the end of the interview where he was asked if Earth is flat. The General was surprised by the question, but he decided to play along and answered “it is flat” for a hilarious ending. […] Unfortunately, as with many other cases, flat-Earthers are not aware they are being ridiculed in the interview, and take the General’s statement as serious.''"

As can be seen on the [https://flatearth.ws/hermaszewski video], the journalist interviewing Hermaszewski asks him if he ever came across a UFO, to which Hermaszewski responds with "''I can't tell you everything, especially not on camera''", but he fails to keep his straight face. The next question is about the shape of the world, to which Hermaszewski replies: "''It's flat.''"<ref group=note>To flerfs: Do you really think he would have wanted to end the interview with anything but the funniest answer possible?</ref>

But don't take it from us. Here is an analysis of the interview by Konrad Kopeć, a Polish photographer and film maker:

{{collapse|Konrad Kopec's analysis|width=500}}
<center>{{#ev:youtube|https://youtu.be/qW1MEfu0JNw?si=Tt6Riu4dUsc_s1pO|||||start=211}}</center>
{{collapse end}}

=="So why can't we travel to Antarctica to see the 24h Sun ourselves?"==

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLHTe_ORjLc&t=443s Asks] Eric Dubay, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLHTe_ORjLc&t=1993s twice]. You can. But when you were offered a free trip to Antarctica, worth over 35,000 USD, you [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPAh57Qeajw chickened out like a whiny little bitch, Eric]. 

For more details on the expedition, see [[The_Final_Experiment#But_you_can.27t_go_there.21|The Final Experiment]].

You can, in fact, travel privately to Antarctica. You need [https://documents.ats.aq/recatt/att505_e.pdf permission] from your [https://www.highlatitudes.com/assets/Antarctic-Yachting-Guideline-2016.pdf own] [https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/env/us-policy-expeditions-antarctica government]. You are not allowed to dump garbage beyond the 60th parallel and you must respect the environment, rendering the voyage impossible for flat earthers. There are [https://environments.aq/publications/specially-protected-and-managed-areas-in-antarctica/ certain areas] restricted by the treaty in the name of conservation.

== Continue reading ==

* '''[[Flat_Earth#Experiments|Flat Earth - Experiments]]'''

== See also ==

* [[Flat_Earth|Flat Earth]]

Flat Earth debunks

* [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_The_Earth|The Earth]]

* [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_The_Moon|The Moon]]

* [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_The_Sun|The Sun]]
* [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_Stars|Stars]]
* [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_Celestial_mechanics|Celestial mechanics]]
* [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_Celestial_objects|Celestial objects]]
* [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_Astronautics|Astronautics]]
* [[Flat_Earth_debunks_-_Astrophotography|Astrophotography]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evidence of the Flat Earth conspiracy}}
[[Category:Anti-intellectualism]]
[[Category:Antisemitism]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]
[[Category:Denialism]]
[[Category:Flat Earth]]
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]

Categories: Anti-intellectualism, Antisemitism, Conspiracy theories, Denialism, Flat Earth, Fundamentalism, Pseudoscience