List of pseudoscience topics from Wikipedia

[cheezer]

SHARK WEEK

[Golden Applesauce]

I'll bite on the round earth argument.  

I observe that anywhere I go, I can see a horizon effect, provided there isn't too much stuff in the way (buildings, fog, etc.)  I can see the horizon further away if I'm high up off the ground (on a plane, top of a tall building, etc.)  This is consistent with the round earth theory.  TGRR mentioned his contact lens shaped earth theory, which would only be consistent with a true horizon at two points - everywhere else, the horizon would be much closer on one side than the other.

[Doktor Howl]

I'll bite on the round earth argument.  

I observe that anywhere I go, I can see a horizon effect, provided there isn't too much stuff in the way (buildings, fog, etc.)  I can see the horizon further away if I'm high up off the ground (on a plane, top of a tall building, etc.)  This is consistent with the round earth theory.  TGRR mentioned his contact lens shaped earth theory, which would only be consistent with a true horizon at two points - everywhere else, the horizon would be much closer on one side than the other.

If the lens is large enough, you wouldn't be able to see that.

[Bruno]

It seems the moon is slowly moving away from the earth.

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=124

The earth is moving away from the sun for the same reason, but the sun will go pfffft before it matters.

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=317

[Doktor Howl]

It seems the moon is slowly moving away from the earth.

Well, then, I think we have to question a few other basic assumptions, don't we?

[Adios]

So let's go with science. The earth is in an elliptical orbit. Is this orbit perfect or is it deteoriating at the furthest points and getting closer to the sun on the flatter parts? If this is the case will we crash into the sun or break orbit and drift away first?

I admit I am over my head here.

If the world is as described, given enough time, it would crash into the sun.  Breaking orbit would require added energy that would have to come from somewhere, and we are actually inside the sun's "atmosphere", which means we very, very gradually slow down.

However, if the world is as described, two events would happen first:

1.  The moon would crash into the Earth for the same reason, and

2.  The sun would go red giant and pfffft!

Couldn't we measure slowing down by the length of days? If we go slower wouldn't days get longer?

Lost me on the sun going red.

When a star of our sun's type runs low on fuel, it does fun things.

Go to wikipedia and search "red giant".

OH!!!

The Sun is predicted to become a red giant in approximately five billion years.[7] It is calculated that the Sun will become sufficiently large to engulf the current orbits of the solar system's inner planets, up to Earth,[11][12][13] and its radius will expand to a minimum of 200 times its current value.[14] The Sun will lose a significant fraction of its mass in the process of becoming a red giant, and there is a chance that Mars and all the outer planets will escape as their resulting orbits will widen.[15] Mercury and most likely Venus will have been swallowed by sun's outer layer at this time. Earth's fate is less clear. Earth could technically achieve a widening of its orbit and could potentially maintain a sufficiently high angular velocity to keep it from becoming engulfed. In order to do so, its orbit needs to increase to between 1.3 AU (190,000,000 km) and 1.7 AU (250,000,000 km).[16] However the results of studies announced in 2008 show that due to tidal interaction  between sun and Earth, Earth would actually fall back into a lower orbit, and get engulfed and incorporated inside the sun before the sun reaches its largest size, despite the sun losing about 38% of its mass.[17] Before this happens, Earth's biosphere  will have long been destroyed by the Sun's steady increase in brightness as its hydrogen supply dwindles and its core contracts, even before the transition to a Red Giant

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_giant

[LMNO]

Ok, what's really making me giggle is how you're going back and questioning/re-exploring Copernicus and Gallileo, but are totally cool with accepting the astrophysics of what the sun is made of and how it behaves.

[Adios]

Dammit, I have to leave now, but I will come back to this.

[Doktor Howl]

Ok, what's really making me giggle is how you're going back and questioning/re-exploring Copernicus and Gallileo, but are totally cool with accepting the astrophysics of what the sun is made of and how it behaves.

Actually, I said "if the universe is as described".  I can think of several other explanations for the sun being what it is, that don't require the sun to behave as predicted.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Everyone knows that the sun runs on coal.

[Apikoros II]

Wow--- This has gotten very heavy, I was hoping for witty comments about phrenology and the Maya. I will ask though if people think Mithc McConnell is part reptile ala David Ickes and John McCain mostly Lizard?

[President Television]

Everyone knows that the sun runs on coal is made of iron.

Seriously. They used to believe this in the 1930s.

[Apikoros II]

Ohhh, and here is one of the weirder things I have seen on the E Train:

[Requia ☣]

Everyone knows that the sun runs on coal is made of iron.

Seriously. They used to believe this in the 1930s.

Really?  That makes no sense, even with 1930s science.   

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Everyone knows that the sun runs on coal is made of iron.

Seriously. They used to believe this in the 1930s.

Coal was believed in the 16th/17th centuries. Coal burned hotter than everything else so... SCIENCE!