Darwin test coming up -This man is about to launch himself in his homemade rocket to prove the Earth

[malaise]

is flat
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/11/21/this-man-is-about-to-launch-himself-in-his-homemade-rocket-to-prove-the-earth-is-flat/?utm_term=.15def82781ba
<snip>
Seeking to prove that a conspiracy of astronauts fabricated the shape of the Earth, a California man intends to launch himself 1,800 feet high on Saturday in a rocket he built from scrap metal.

Assuming the 500-mph, mile-long flight through the Mojave Desert does not kill him, Mike Hughes told the Associated Press, his journey into the atmosflat will mark the first phase of his ambitious flat-Earth space program.

Hughes’s ultimate goal is a subsequent launch that puts him miles above the Earth, where the 61-year-old limousine driver hopes to photograph proof of the disc we all live on.

“It’ll shut the door on this ball earth,” Hughes said in a fundraising interview with a flat-Earth group for Saturday’s flight. Theories discussed during the interview included NASA being controlled by round-Earth Freemasons and Elon Musk making fake rockets from blimps.

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[lame54]

1. He better not punk out like Evil Kneivel

[old guy]

32. Thank you.

That's the first thing I thought of too.

[quickesst]

78. How did Evel Knievel pumk out?

Although it was not successful, mainly because the parachute deployed way too early, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get in that rocket sled and launch myself into a canyon trying to get to the other side. Punking out to me means that someone got scared to do something and backed out. If your definition of punking out is different than mine then I would be appreciative of an explanation. Evel Knievel's attempt was based on solid theory. The flat-earth goofball is doomed to fail because of the lack of any credible evidence at all that he can prove his claim that the Earth is flat. Thanks

From the Urban Dictionary:
punked out (synonym: herbed)
to quit, esp. from fear; to chicken out or back down as from intimidation;
scared or frightened to act; back down from a confrontational situation because you are too afraid to act.
After being challenged, he punked out.
You just got punked out! (=You walked away or retreated after being challenged, or verbally abused or disrespected.

[Not Ruth]

2. I think it was on SNL that they said these nuts could see that every other planet was round

But for no reason, they thought that theirs was flat

[unblock]

5. In fairness he is saying it's a disc

I mean, the other planets look like flat discs too, right?

[icymist]

47. A disc wold planet; here you go:

[unblock]

51. it's turtles all the way down!

[icymist]

52. With the Disc World on the back of four elephants!

Just for laughs the gods made it so that one of the elephants have to raise it's leg so the sun can set. It's can get boring, being a god.

Concept from the brilliant mind of the late Sir Terry Prachett.

[LonePirate]

3. I do no think suicide via stupidity is a laughing matter. His family should seek help for him.

[malaise]

17. I disagree re this level of stupidity

I'm freaking laughing

[lindysalsagal]

68. Really hoping this fool has not reproduced, pre-flight.

[Quanta]

76. Why not?

I hope he has a GoPro camera and livestreams it, personally.

[unblock]

4. Sounds like he adopted flat-earthism for the fundraising opportunity

[MineralMan]

6. Ground Control to Major Mike...

Abort your launch! Abort your launch!

What a moron. He's going to go up a whole 1800 feet? He could take a flight from Las Vegas to Minneapolis and go up about 36,000 feet. And even then, he couldn't see the curvature of the Earth. But, he could take some pictures out the window of the plane to document his "flat earth" theory. He'd still be a moron, but there's a much better chance of remaining a live moron.

Hey! Hold muh beer and watch this, everyone!

[PJMcK]

8. The Earth looks flat from 1800 feet

Just sayin'.

[MineralMan]

12. It looks flat at 35,000 feet, too.

Actually, the curvature could be measured at that altitude, but I've looked many times and haven't been able to see it, given the narrow angle of vision out of most airliner windows.

It's easy to see at 70,000 feet, though, as shown in photos taken from the U-2. At 100,000 feet, it's very obvious.

[PJMcK]

64. Photoshop

You and I both know the world is a cube.

Happy Thanksgiving, MineralMan!

[csziggy]

73. The Earth is not a torus?

[Canoe52]

80. Mmm makes me hungry for donuts!

[eppur_se_muova]

84. Not just the Earth ...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2522944.Circumpolar_

[SammyWinstonJack]

89. LOL.

[malaise]

18. LOL

Bangs head - how are people this stupid?

[MineralMan]

19. I have no idea.

Truly.

[PJMcK]

7. NASA is conspiring to destroy this guy's rocket

They don't want the truth out there because it would end all of the money NASA gets from the federal government.



(sarcasm)

[struggle4progress]

9. I'd bet it's illegal and I hope the FAA intervenes

[Takket]

38. That will just convince them they are right

The FAA doesn't want you to know the truth!!!

Why is he flying in a rocket when all he needs is a boat?

[struggle4progress]

66. I'm not so worried about Flat-Earthers as a political constituency: most of them are just jokesters;

and the few who aren't don't have much of a following

But launching passenger-bearing vessels into the air poses various public health and safety issues which are almost-certainly addressed by federal regulation. And there may be state statutes also governing how to handle those who pose a danger to self or others

[smirkymonkey]

87. I don't get it. Why is it so important to them to prove that the earth is flat?

What are they getting out of it?

[struggle4progress]

88. Hughes is a stunt man and wants publicity

This man is about to launch himself in his homemade rocket
... He set a Guinness World Record in 2002 for a limousine jump ...
http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2017/11/this_man_is_about_to_launch_hi.html

[njhoneybadger]

10. Proof Neanderthals didn't go extinct they evolved into Flat-Earthers

[librechik]

25. hey, don't be so hard on Neanderthals.They were never that stupid.

[BoneyardDem]

11. There are much easier ways to disprove the curvature of the earth...or rather prove it

dumbass

[3catwoman3]

13. "It's not rocket science."

Oh, wait. Yes it is - or it should be.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

14. You forgot the picture.

[malaise]

21. ROFL

This is the Con's real Rocket man!

[ffr]

90. Does it work with steam power?

His does, supposedly.

[Achilleaze]

15. republican Comrade Casino* inspires this level of "intelligence"

* republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief

[NotASurfer]

20. He should ride along

You get a much clearer view of the sun when you stare at it from high altitude and we know from the eclipse that sitting Presidents are immune from sun blindness

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

16. Watch him hit a UFO.

[DesertRat]

22. I wish the man attempting this feat

was named Donald J. Trump.

[malaise]

23. Not sure he could build a

Lego rocket!

[DesertRat]

57. Maybe Barron could help him!

[NightWatcher]

24. I'll admit, I thought the term "Flat Earther" was a slur against anti-science types. I had no idea..

that there are people with access to technology (not an isolated tribe somewhere) who actually think that the Earth is flat.

I'm completely dumbfounded by this and think that someone who actually believes this needs to be institutionalized.

[malaise]

27. That hit me for six

Seriously.

[panader0]

42. "That hit me for six" I have never heard this expression.

Please explain.

[malaise]

44. The highest scoring run in the game of cricket is six -

over the boundary like a home run in baseball. You have to hit it hard.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hit%20for%20Six
Hit for Six
Similar to knocked for six, mainly a cricketing term where the ball is knocked beyond the boundary without bouncing.

Can also mean to completely devastate.
He's been hit for six from that ball.

I was hit for six when my wife left me.
#hit for 6#hit 4 6#hitt for six#hit for sixx#hit 4 sixx

[panader0]

46. Ah, cricket--no wonder I didn't know. Thanks.....

[Ilsa]

33. The had a convention in NC recently.

They also have a website with forums where there is plenty of debate, if you could call it that. FE-ers have nonscientific comments followed by logical arguments from normal people.

[Vinca]

26. Let me guess. His craft is called the "Trumphumper?"

[Initech]

74. I think it's made by Acme Corporation.

The Trumphumper 9000 - perfect for catching that pesky road runner or proving the earth is flat!

[Vinca]

83. ROFL - perfect!

[pangaia]

28. Atmosflat.🤣😃😄😅😅😂😘😗😙

😂😁🤣

[VMA131Marine]

29. He needs a Gopro and a helium weather balloon

[malaise]

45. I might burst with laughter

I cannot believe this one

[MrScorpio]

30. You cant fix stupid.

[Mr. Ected]

31. If FOX News reported that the Earth was flat

It would likely save this guy's life and 50 million people would immediately jump on the bandwagon.

[lagomorph777]

34. Please please please put it on live TV.

[malaise]

36. Sadly I suspect that he will be

flattened

[lagomorph777]

37. Hahah!

[kysrsoze]

35. Flurking idiot could go almost 20 times that high in an airplane

I predict he’s the Darwin Award winner of the week, perhaps the month.

[malaise]

39. Nah! He'll be the 2017 winner

[Takket]

40. Spaceman spiff!

[lagomorph777]

92. More like Spaceman Spliff

[AllaN01Bear]

41. hem

[malaise]

48. Hahahahha

Hope Mike is so lucky!

[sarisataka]

43. I don't see any potential problems

[lapfog_1]

49. 1,800 feet high

is not likely to prove much

[sdfernando]

50. I would suggest he get some pointers and tips

from Andy Griffith but since he is dead......

[fantase56]

53. Wonder if he believes in gravity?

[Initech]

54. "Flat earth science" - is that an oxymoron?

[malaise]

56. I think so

[Wounded Bear]

55. Isn't he afraid he might hit the dome?

[treestar]

58. Florida Man already tried this

[Initech]

72. So did Johnny Knoxville!

[malaise]

82. Hahahhaahahha

[Initech]

59. Ooh! Ooh! I have a preview of how it's going to go!

[malaise]

60. This should make next week's top ten 'idiots'

[Initech]

62. It will be in this week's "People Are Dumb" for sure!

[lindysalsagal]

70. Thank you!!!

I'll return to this after a day in the kitchen with my senile mother.....

[spanone]

61. be cheaper to buy a plane ticket.

[Initech]

63. Or he could just rent a drone that is capable of flying that high.

[spanone]

65. or he could use google...😎

[Jim Lane]

67. I'm not sure about the Darwin aspect.

You have to improve the gene pool, right? If this guy manages to kill himself, yes, he's removing some Flat-Earth nutjob genes, but he's also removing some technological skill. I wouldn't be capable of building a rocket that reached 1800 feet, or even one that got high enough to kill me on the landing.

[malaise]

69. Valid point which explains why some of us are stunned that a flat-earther is interested in science

He really needs mental health treatment. Something is wrong here.

[lindysalsagal]

71. I wanna know where he thinks the edge is.....Tijuana? Zimbabwe? Siberia?

Seriously. Anyone know where these dunces think it is? and, why does it get dark at night??????

[krispos42]

75. Stupidity should hurt.

This one should be epically painful.

[Solly Mack]

77. Ignorance kills.

[Generic Brad]

79. Suicide by willful ignorance

This does not make me chuckle at all. I am very sad for this man's family and the death they will soon be mourning.

[ProudLib72]

81. Elevation where I live 5400' above sea level

A few miles away are some mountains that are 14,000' above sea level. So I can get in my car and drive half an hour, hike a couple miles, and be 8,600' above where I started. I can look out over the expanse of the plains and try to spot my house 8,600' below. I will have beaten this idiot's height by 6,800' and remained safe doing it.

By all means, please proceed.

[dembotoz]

85. wonder if the man's life insurance agent has gotten a call from headquarters.....

[sl8]

86. "Hughes only recently converted to flat-Eartherism, after struggling for months to raise funds ..."

"Hughes only recently converted to flat-Eartherism, after struggling for months to raise funds for his follow-up flight over the Mojave."

What a lucky coincidence for Mad Mike that his recent conversion has resulted not only in a new sponsor, but also massive, world-wide publicity and on-line buzz. Gosh, I hadn't even heard of him and his previous, pre-conversion stunts until now.

I wouldn't mind a slice of those pay-per-view sales.

[ffr]

91. I'm crowdfunding passengers on the rocket if anyone wants to have their family Trumpster go