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Flat Earther Fails To Launch His Homemade Rocket -- Yet Again (facebook.com)
An anonymous reader writes:
Flat earther "Mad" Mike Hughes, who also bills himself as "the last great daredevil," promised Super Bowl-sized ratings for an event Saturday where he'd blast himself nearly half a mile into the sky on a homemade rocket. "We had 20 cameras on site today, ready for a full segment," explained the video-on-demand site Noize TV on their Facebook page. One newspaper described it as also being "an event which he hopes will get people to investigate the ideology which holds the earth is flat." But judging from online reactions, the event was just another disappointment.
Noize TV's Facebook post titled "The Launch!!! Finally" shows a picture of Mike standing beside his rocket -- but it's followed by a commenters saying things like "There was no launch. I doubt there will be," and the official Noize TV account saying "We thought he would press that button... He did not. And won't be doing so we are pretty certain." And this morning Noize TV posted that "we will no longer cover non launches, only launches... It turns out non launches are not as funny as we anticipated."
One woman even posted that "I was there for awhile...police were there. Ambulance was there. 100 people that weren't supposed to be there was there..." And while there's rumors Mike might still try again another day, her ultimate verdict about the limo-driver-turned-daredevil was cynical. "He's all about getting seen rather than getting launched... My husband gave him $100 cash the last time he was going to launch...live and learn."
Noize TV's Facebook post titled "The Launch!!! Finally" shows a picture of Mike standing beside his rocket -- but it's followed by a commenters saying things like "There was no launch. I doubt there will be," and the official Noize TV account saying "We thought he would press that button... He did not. And won't be doing so we are pretty certain." And this morning Noize TV posted that "we will no longer cover non launches, only launches... It turns out non launches are not as funny as we anticipated."
One woman even posted that "I was there for awhile...police were there. Ambulance was there. 100 people that weren't supposed to be there was there..." And while there's rumors Mike might still try again another day, her ultimate verdict about the limo-driver-turned-daredevil was cynical. "He's all about getting seen rather than getting launched... My husband gave him $100 cash the last time he was going to launch...live and learn."
Too bad. I love that guy. America needs more full-on nuts who do crazy things with rockets and other such toys-- and I mean that sincerely.
While I'd not pay to see this...
This seems like useful entertainment. Not only from the standpoint of seeing a very dumb person "press the button"- because there are many levels of both entertainment AND education here...
The entertaining part is watching someone dumb, do something stupid, and the resulting consequences. Some people say that is cruel. Which I'd agree with to some extent. But comedy is based on tragedy created by the butt of the joke.
Imagine if Basil Fawlty was a scientist....
Education comes from watching the guy blow himself to bits. Those who think the world is flat will have to confront the idea that a guy who blew himself up out of stupidity is capable of assessing the curvature (and spheroid nature) of the planet.
All in all... if he presses the button- we all win.
Another consultant who stuck it out.
"We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx..."
... his gravity model could match Newton's and his engineering NASA's.
Tall order (double pun intended) to match them both, to a level where you're prepared to put your life on the line.
I do not understand why these people want to just launch up and bounce off the dome surrounding the earth. It should be clear that is what is going to happen.
Instead I want to announce my kickstarter project to fund exploratory project. I want to build a "sphere" probably made of metal that we will lower over the edge of the planet to investigate the large turtle that carries the earth, and it supporting elephants on its back. While we are down there we will attempt to discover the sex of the turtle and possibly communicate with it.
This is an entirely original ideal and there is no precedence for in any written proposal fictional or otherwise.
I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
I am starting to think that there is some kind of distortion in space-time that attracts things towards the ground.
Americans totally fell for a completely obviously bullshit con-artist loony-toons crackpot nutjob. Frankly, I'm surprised he's not running for public orifice. He would fit right in with the majority that is actually in minority, but not welcoming to minorities by the majority of them.
What next, the return of Kent Hovind? Roy Moore's Spoken Word Album goes Platinum? Michelle Bachmann hears the call of God?
[conspiracy logic]Obama wasn't there. He never mentioned this event. Therefore it is a conspiracy that he stopped. With the aid of Illuminati of course.[/conspiracy logic]
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
If only there was a way, or some kind of technology already existing, that someone could pay a few hundred dollars to go up thousands of feet in the air.
For the last 30-40 years popular media in the US has been promoting stupidity and turning dumb people into stars, making them famous, and in some cases rich.
I'm hoping that the pendulum has swung as far as it's going and will start to swing back the other way, but I'm probably foolish to think we've reached peak stoopid.
His launch is not likely to influence his beliefs. Not due to the strength of his convictions, but because he only planned to go up about 600 meters.
Note that the bare-minimum for being able to detect the curvature of the earth with the naked eye, in ideal / cloudless conditions, is over 10,000 meters. The most-common views that one typically sees of the "curved earth" / thinks of when considering the curvature of the earth, are from the the international space station (or other orbits of roughly that area), which averages 400,000 meters from the earth's surface.
600 meters much less than he'd get from riding in an airplane. If he didn't trust the windows on those things, and wanted a definite unobstructed view, he could just get into a normal hot air balloon - those tend to go up a little more than 600 meters, on average.
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
You can't say what his beliefs are. The man is getting attention - that is, after all, what some people crave. Whether or not they are his real beliefs or the man is just a huge troll, no one can ever really know. Poe's law holds true.
The correct response in either case is the same, however. Quietly call the man an idiot, and refuse to engage in the argument or discussion.
You can't say what his beliefs are.
Fine, his stated and publicly professed beliefs.
The man is getting attention - that is, after all, what some people crave. Whether or not they are his real beliefs or the man is just a huge troll, no one can ever really know. Poe's law holds true.
Well, you can't know you're not a brain in a jar, but so what? Either way, the flaws remain. There is no genuine behavior of integrity for him.
The correct response in either case is the same, however. Quietly call the man an idiot, and refuse to engage in the argument or discussion.
No, the correctness of indifference is questionable, given that the great part of the masses does not seem to follow the same principle. It would be preferable to indulgence, but may not be more correct than refutation.
This guy is nothing but an attention whore.
- First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
600 meters much less than he'd get from riding in an airplane. If he didn't trust the windows on those things, and wanted a definite unobstructed view, he could just get into a normal hot air balloon - those tend to go up a little more than 600 meters, on average.
Or just climb one of the local mountains which go up to a about 2000 meters. From the top of one you can look down on him as he reaches the apex of his little trip (and I do mean little).
He would do far better with a lawn chair, weather balloons and some tanks of helium.
Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
No elephants. just turtles
[($)]
Or just drive across the country and record times of sunrise/sunset. I don't think there's any shortage of ways to prove it.
No there isn't.
Slashdot has had a flat earther posting here pretty often recently (as an AC of course) and he scoffs at such esoteric tools as geometry and arithmetic. He could not provide a coherent explanation of why Eratosthenes was wrong, he just dismissed the proof as "obviously wrong", but couldn't explain this "obviousness".
Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
Oh, that's not true. I'm sure they're everywhere. The question is whether *this* guy is an actual flat-Earther, or just a smart promoter.
Steam rockets go back quite a ways in daredevil history, back to Evel Knievel's 1972 attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in a rocket engineer designed by a team of rocket and aerospace engineers. His attempt failed because of a premature parachute deployment. The jump was successfully completed in 2016 using a replica which reached altitudes of 2000 feet and a speed of 400mph, setting a steam rocket distance record of 4756 feet.
That was a daring and dangerous stunt stunt, and the Evel Knievel angle guaranteed a lot of public attention. But let's say you're going to break that record, in reality the altitudes and distances are paltry compared to what you can reach in an airplane. Or even driving over a mountain pass. So how do you attract money and eyeballs? A good cock and bull story, one that lazy and ignorant media will be sure to swallow.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Can we please stop posting stories about this guy, he is either mentally unstable (in which case he needs help, not an audience, and Slashdot is contributing to the problem) or he is a con man (who should also not be encouraged or given a platform as well...)
Anyone who is a "flat earther" can easily test their hypothesis by spending around $10k. Fly from SFO to Hawii, take longitude and latitude measurements at each destination and track the flight time, use a compass to confirm you are always traveling West. Hell use GPS to track your flight path. Then fly to Tokyo, London and back to the US. Proof positive that the earth is round, and around $10k in plane tickets.
This is generally why there are very few flat earthers, because plane and business travel is common enough that most people know someone who has actually flown around the planet...
If you disagree, please post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like
Oh, that's not true. I'm sure they're everywhere.
Flat Earth nutbars are exclusively northern hemisphere residents. The southern celestial pole (with different star trail patterns) and long summer days disprove the flat theory which is a northern sphere centric "theory".
The Flat Earth Society publishes a membership register. You can check for yourself: there are members from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Today anyone can watch th earth rotate and clearly see that it is not flat. So exactly how can someone believe that it is flat? Ignorance and psychosis can at times be identical.
For less than 20k he can get a ride on a su 27 and get higher than needed to prove himself wrong.
Rocket dude is estimating his height to be obtained is something like 1600 feet.
Just where does he think jet planes fly?
..........FULL STOP.
Clearly the government paid/coerced him not to launch so he can't see and reveal the true nature of our flat Earth.
This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
How about ignoring the attention whore?
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
Too bad. I love that guy. America needs more full-on nuts who do crazy things with rockets and other such toys-- and I mean that sincerely.
You mean we need attention seeking whores with idiotic ideas who don't actually do anything? You're a big fan of the Kardashians aren't you?
I have no idea why anyone is giving this lunatic the time of day.
This ain't "news for nerds" and it sure as shit ain't "stuff that matters".
Please stop.
But he's only conning other Flat-Earthers...It's hard for me to get upset about it.
To clarify, he wasn't planning to prove or disprove anything with this particular launch regarding Flat Earth, he was just raising awareness.
I was hoping for a fireworks show :(
It is obviously wrong because it contradicts his desired outcome.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.