Proving the Earth is round at home

RNG
Tue, 20 Oct 2020 17:54:08 +0000

I am looking for practical ways to prove the Earth is round using materials accessible to the average person. I have zero interest in disproving Flat Earth folks.

I am inspired by Dan Olson's (Folding Ideas) excellent video where he is able to do this measuring the curvature of a lake near his home that has a very specific geography that lends itself to this sort of experiment. I've seen all sorts of ways to prove this measuring shadows and poles, using gyroscopes, etc. and wanted to know if there are any practical guides for proving once and for all that the Earth is round for yourself relying on nothing more than experimentation.

What I'm not looking for:

Math relying on flight times/charts

Video/picture evidence

Deductive proofs built on agreed upon premises

Expensive tests

Extremely time consuming projects

Underwhelming results (relying on a probabilistic argument for a round Earth from the evidence.)

What I am looking for:

Practical experiments

Things I could potentially do without spending much money

Tests that aren't largely comprised of accepting someone else's research

Potentially math-heavy evidence

Results that are strong and conclusive

I've thought of finding some easy to test version of Eratosthenes' proof using two poles. I've also thought about using a balloon and sending something to space like what is done in this Tom Scott video. Nothing seems well documented in such a way as for me to be able to follow it at home.

TL;DR: I think it would be a meaningful experience to have the power to prove the Earth is round by myself, for myself. I can only compare this desire to the desire a child with a telescope has when wishing to observe Saturn or Mars themselves for the first time. It's not to prove anything or to settle doubts, but for the personal value of independently observing this astronomical fact oneself.

Comments URL: https://tildes.net/~science/srf/proving_the_earth_is_round_at_home

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