I have noticed recently that ad hoc hypotheses have become very popular with young earth creationists. On top of this, they cite creationist skepticism as a reason for including creationism in high school sciene class.
To show the weakness of an ad hoc hypothesis (
go here for an explanation of the term), I have decided to show how the theory of a flat earth is supported by facts and by a theory, and so should be taught side by side with Round Earth Theory.
sidnote: I hope everyone who reads this will understand that a lot of this is in satire, but there is a lesson to be learned.
My main source of information is from
http://www.flat-earth.org. This is the homepage for the Flat Earth Society. Their existance proves that not all scientists have fallen for the round earth lie. In fact, more scientists everyday are moving to the side of the flat-earthers after they find that their round earth theory does not explain what they see in nature. Science is proving day after day that we do indeed live on a flat earth.
Some of you may ask, "how about the pictures from the moon that show the earth to be round." Here is what the truth seeking flat earthers have to say about that:
Most of these are fake. It is well known that the "moon landing" was faked. The film of what is claimed to be the moon was taken in the desert in the US state of Arizona.
There exist some genuine photographs from high altitudes, which appear to the untrained eye to show a spherical Earth. The reason for this effect is that the Earth's atmosphere becomes denser the further one ascends, after thinning out at about 5 miles. This causes light to be refracted more at high altitudes, giving the appearance of a spherical Earth.
The reason the atmosphere becomes denser is the increased pressure. If not for this extreme pressure, the sun, and all stars, would not be able to hold together but would gradually dissipate in accordance with the gas laws, and Brownian motion (see any basic school physics text). Further proof that there is atmosphere all the way between the earth and the sun, moon, etc, is that heat from the sun warms the earth. Heat cannot travel through a vacuum, as anyone who has ever used a vacuum flask knows. Real astronauts would need pressure suits to protect them from the incredibly high pressures they would encounter.
As you can see, it is the evil round earther's who have forced their world view upon us. They have even faked pictures to make you believe their lies. The evidence is clear. Refraction is a well understood mechanism, and the thinning atmosphere is a fact. How can round earthers denie these facts and still tell us that the earth is round with a straight face. Argh, they are against everyone who seeks the truth.
But wait, what about gravity you ask? Well, gravity is just a theory, and therefore it has never been proven. In fact, gravity does not exist. This is another one of the lies that the purveyors of globularism have pushed upon us. We are only held down by inertia. Inertia is a fact. From
Flat-earth.com -
Ready for Development :
Gravity is a lie invented by the purveyors of the inherently false spherical Earth theory. The theory of gravity has never been proven. There is no gravity, only inertia. The Earth moves through space like a giant elevator. We do not fall off because we are kept down by inertia. The Earth has inertia.
There is a school of thought which states, however, that the Earth does not move through space, but rather that it rests on the back of a giant turtle, and that what we call gravity is, in fact, the turtle's animal magnetism.
Plainly, only inertia is needed to keep people on the earth, gravity is not needed.
So, as you can see, the flat earth theory has refuted many points that round earthers claim as fact. Gravity is not needed, and then there are the round earth forgeries (there is even a movie about faking the moon landings).
END SARCASM:
http://www.flat-earth.org is a great read. One answer on their FAQ actually says that Idaho is a delusion. Nice to know that I live in the State of Delusion. Oh well. However, the lesson to learn is this: making up hypotheses that match up to specific data sets (thinning atmosphere and refraction) that ultimately do not address other evidence are meaningless. These hypothesis are called
ad hoc. Examples include Walt Brown's Hydroplate Theory and Woodmorappe's Ark Theories. These theories require the reader to first accept the conclusion of their theories before the evidence is presented. Ad hoc hypotheses do not make predictions, but instead make convuluted and sometimes contradictory statements about present data. So, after reading the above, do you believe in a round earth or a flat earth? Is this just a belief, or is it based on evidence? Could you have been corrupted by round earth education, or does evidence above and beyond your education support your assertion that the earth is round?
My admonition to young earth creationists is this: ask yourself if the theory you are supporting is ad hoc in nature, in that evidences are bent in order to fit into a preconceived theory. Also, is being skeptical enough of a reason to include creationism in science classes? If so, why not include flat earth theory in Earth Science classes, after all there are groups of scientists that argue for a flat earth and it is supported by evidence.
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