Flat Earther Fails To Launch His Homemade Rocket -- Yet Again (facebook.com) 162
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 (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
if they are really that stupid that they believe the earth is flat, it's no wonder they fail to launch a rocket...
Re: (Score:2)
if they are really that stupid that they believe the earth is flat, it's no wonder they fail to launch a rocket...
While I wish it were that simple, it never is. Believe it or not, lots of smart people believe dumb things. Doesn't make them dumb though. People are really, really good surviving with cognitive dissonance while still getting other constructive or innovative shit done.
Re: (Score:2)
i People are really, really good surviving with cognitive dissonance while still getting other constructive or innovative shit done.
For reference, see religion.
Re: (Score:2)
For reference, see religion.
You say it as if it has some kind of special monopoly. For reference, see anything. Politics, science, health, legal, history, sports, education, technology, economy, etc. Endless examples anywhere you look.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: Too bad (Score:1)
Who would sponsor him? BREITBART?! Alex Jones?
Re: (Score:3)
Yeah, like the moon shot, or...or...the SR-71...or modern cancer therapy, or lasers, or laser eye surgery, or dentistry, or the interstate highway system, or SS so grandma doesn't come and live with you, or fighting two fronts in WWII, or integrated circuits, or computers, or vaccines, or stereo systems, or....well golly, just about everything great in America was started in a garage or basement. The U.S. should build more of those, think how many more great things it would have.
Re: Too bad (Score:1)
Yup, but you old world types kept killing inventors for heresy.
That's why the US invented everything. We let the people keep and capitalize on their ingenuity, not kill them for it.
The only things the old world really invented are slavery(thanks for blaming us BTW) and the dark ages.
Re: (Score:2)
None of things he listed were invented by Americans (except, arguably the aeroplane, but then the Wright Brothers' patents prevented the US developing any new designs and the French became the masters of the air).
According to the idiot troll below, the real inventors were murdered for doing so however.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Too bad (Score:1)
By that logic, the whole world is covered uniformly with houses, roads, and telephone poles, just like the neighborhood where my family lives. Those oceans people keep talking about? Fiction. At night, the sun takes a nap so it can be well-rested tomorrow for more sunshine. Except when it rains. Thatâ(TM)s a different sun that shines rain instead of sunshine.
Re: (Score:3)
There is a legitimate argument that the world is flat: if you look out the window it's plainly obvious.
I don't know about you but I've been high enough above sea level on the tops of mountains or in airplanes to see the curvature of the Earth. The Greeks had it figured out to within about 5% of the actual value nearly 3,000 years ago.
Re: (Score:2)
You're not the first person to say he's beyond stupid.
There is a legitimate argument that the world is flat: if you look out the window it's plainly obvious.
So the real issue is whether we choose to believe what the government agency tells.
Most contributors on slashdot believe the government lies and cheats on issues to various degeees.
So when people say it's common sense that the world is round, the takeaway for me is those people believe in something because everybody else does. This herd mentality is also "beyond stupid". Time to apply l'hopital.
You think people believe the earth is round because the government says it is? Really?
Re: (Score:2)
When you pit the observations made against flat vs. round earth, the round earth explains the observations better.
By the way, the reason the world appears flat when you look out of your window is the size of the planet we're on. The various drawings you find all over the place where there's a ball and a stick figure drawn onto it that should make it "obvious" when you look at the ball that you should see a curve? Forget them. They are WAY out of scale.
Do you know what size you would have if the Earth had th
Re: (Score:3)
Yeah, it's one thing to scam a bunch of flat-earther nut-jobs into funding your lunatic daredevil stunts... but what's the point if, after all that hard work, you're not going to actually follow through?
Re: (Score:2)
The point is that you've got the money and you get to spend it.
Re:Too bad (Score:5, Insightful)
Having leaders of nations like that is NOT enough for you?
Re: (Score:3)
Problem is, they're a lot less likely to kill themselves, and a lot more likely to kill a lot of other people. Crazy hobbies become a lot less admirable when you start gambling with other people's lives.
Re: (Score:3)
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.
When it comes to certain technologies, we need those "full-on nuts" to know what the fuck they're doing. And I mean that sincerely. It's never a good thing when a Darwin Award winner ends up taking innocent lives with them.
Re:Too bad (Score:5, Funny)
It's never a good thing when a Darwin Award winner ends up taking innocent lives with them.
If he takes out someone who lives across the street, that's tragedy. If he takes out the people who have come to see the launch, and who are rewarding his attention-whoring, that's comedy.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Current evidence suggests this guy isn't a nut, just a liar that conned a bunch of actual nuts out of some money.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
More Steak, Less Sizzle.
America needs More Launches, Less Fizzle.
Re: (Score:2)
They should make a movie about him, starring Randy Quaid.
he's a full on idiot (Score:2)
Rocket dude is estimating his height to be obtained is something like 1600 feet.
Just where does he think jet planes fly?
Attention seeking (Score:3)
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.
Useful entertainment.... (Score:2)
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
Re: (Score:2)
Education comes from watching the guy blow himself to bits...All in all... if he presses the button- we all win.
Does everyone win when a Darwin Award winner ends up taking someone else's life? Education comes from understanding that certain technologies should not be fucked with by a very dumb person. There's a valid reason NASA doesn't hire the Cletus T. Dipshits of the world.
Re: (Score:2)
Does everyone win when a Darwin Award winner ends up taking someone else's life?
If he kills his neighbor, it's a tragedy. If he kills all the people who came to reward his attention whoring, then it's a comedy.
Re: (Score:3)
Maybe he started to doubt that... (Score:2)
... 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.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Half of the same fools don't believe we landed on the moon either!
GoFund Me Turtle One (Score:5, Funny)
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.
Re:GoFund Me Turtle One (Score:5, Funny)
You're going to try and communicate with the sex of the turtle?
Re: GoFund Me Turtle One (Score:2, Funny)
That's dangerously close to saying he wants to have relations with the turtle. Fortunately, if he isn't interested in the gender of that turtle, it's turtles all the way down. This implies possibly infinite turtles, so he's very likely to find one that interests him.
Re: (Score:2)
So... you are saying that maybe they are all the same turtle! Consider my mind blown!
Re: (Score:2)
Shh! Don't... too late, the PETA demonstration is forming.
Re: (Score:3)
Sure, why not?
Re: (Score:2)
At least he's not assuming its gender.
Re:GoFund Me Turtle One (Score:5, Funny)
That is the most stupid idea I've ever seen.
What if you spook the turtle?!? YOU'LL KILL US ALL!!!1!
Re:GoFund Me Turtle One (Score:5, Funny)
What if you spook the turtle?!? YOU'LL KILL US ALL!!!1!
That is a risk I'm willing to take.
Re: (Score:2)
Ah. Well, seems fair, I guess. After all, you're doing all the work...
Re: (Score:2)
Actually... it's the turtle doing to work.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, actually, we don't know its sex; it might just lay there...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Its turtles all the way down (Score:1)
Hypothesis (Score:1)
I am starting to think that there is some kind of distortion in space-time that attracts things towards the ground.
Re: (Score:2)
There is no such thing as gravity. The earth sucks.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Nobody really knows what gravity "is" in terms of the underlying mechanism, beyond conjecture. If you define it in terms of a "distortion of space/time", then you have to explain the mechanism of space/time first, not just its behavior.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Hypothesis (Score:2)
Levity.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise. (Score:2, Interesting)
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 [wikipedia.org]? Roy Moore's Spoken Word Album [al.com] goes Platinum? Michelle Bachmann hears the call of God [fox9.com]?
Re: (Score:2)
You forgot Sarah Palin espying Russia from her back yard.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
What do you mean, the return? Kent has never been away (ok, aside of his state mandated vacation, all expenses paid by the taxpayer, i.e. not him). But his son stepped up and took over the family business of conning ignorant people out of money for while he was away, and now he's back and more obnoxious than ever.
Re: (Score:2)
He's already actually done it once and nearly died:
http://www.vvdailypress.com/ar... [vvdailypress.com]
View from the back of the rocket at the shitfest parachute design that almost killed him. 400' isn't much in rocketry, but it's plenty high to kill you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Sam
Clearly Obama did this (Score:3)
If only (Score:3)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
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.
Yeah, it’s pretty funny that he claimed he was going to prove something by rocketing up to an elevation much lower than commercial jetliners routinely travel.
I blame TV. (Score:2)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
what are you talking about, look at the huge thing this self-made star did, and he learned from TV!
https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/01... [cnn.com]
Re: (Score:1)
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.
Stupid has no limits. Tim S.
Re: (Score:2)
They have to build up as many as possible, because we don't know which one will be the next sacrifice. Remember, "Sacrifice in March, corn has plenty of starch."
Re: (Score:3)
An just think, we all thought this was just another comedy movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt03... [imdb.com]
Now it is clear that it is a documentary.
Re: (Score:2)
It's a bit like 1984. Done as a warning, taken as a manual.
An attention whore (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Can't we all just acknowledge his 15 minutes of fame are up? Should the modern day Wan Hu succeed in blowing himself up, then, and only then, should we hear about him again.
Can we please just stop (Score:5, Insightful)
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...
Re: (Score:3)
Cheaper: sit on a beach with a pair of binoculars and look for ships to come over the horizon. Binoculars: $50, sunscreen: $5.
Re:Can we please just stop (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Cheaper: sit on a beach with a pair of binoculars and look for ships to come over the horizon. Binoculars: $50, sunscreen: $5.
Could be refraction, if the air has an inversion layer of warm air near the surface.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
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...)
The coverage this idiot gets is worse than America's fascination with sports sideshow clown Lavar Ball, and that's saying something. Maybe Big Baller Brand will finance a shitty rocket and the two can go out together at the towering height of 1000 feet, or whatever lame altitude the moron was aiming for. Or could someone at least tell him that a cheap commercial plane ticket will get him way higher than his little toy and its 19th Century technology?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
For $150, you can launch a weather balloon with a camera high enougough to see the curvature of the earth if you REALLY know what you're doing.
For the inexperienced ameture, you're probably looking at $250 to $300.
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...
I doubt that: it's been generally rare since well before the era of common plane travel.
Re: (Score:2)
Really Dumb Believers (Score:2)
Asshole (Score:1)
Too obvious (Score:3)
Seeing as he's clearly not going to do this (Score:2)
Enough of this fucking idiot already (Score:2)
This ain't "news for nerds" and it sure as shit ain't "stuff that matters".
Please stop.
Well shoot (Score:2)
Re:Not likely (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
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".
Re: (Score:2)
It is obviously wrong because it contradicts his desired outcome.
Re: (Score:1)
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.
Re: (Score:1)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
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 [youtube.com] in 2016 using a replica which reached altitudes of 2000 feet and a spee
Re: (Score:2)
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".
Re: (Score:2)
The Flat Earth Society publishes a membership register [theflatearthsociety.org]. You can check for yourself: there are members from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Re: (Score:2)