SPACE — Blue marble, Earth is our spherical home. But what if our earth was flat? Moreover, there are still many people, so-called flat earthers, who firmly believe in this idea.
The following are 8 strange things we might experience if the Earth were flat like a coin:
1. No Gravity
Wherever you travel in the universe, you will most likely experience a downward gravitational pull towards nearby objects. Image: sdecoret via Live Science.
The spherical shape of the Earth means that gravity pulls objects equally wherever they are. If the Earth were a flat disk, gravity as we know it today would have no effect. Because gravity is what makes this planet round.
A flat Earth would likely have no gravity at all. Calculations by mathematician and physicist James Clerk Maxwell in the 1850s explained that the Earth, which was in the form of a solid disk, could not have formed under gravitational conditions.
Or perhaps on a flat Earth, gravity would pull everything toward the center of the disk, the North Pole. James Davis, a geophysicist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, said that in that scenario, the farther you are from the North Pole, the greater the horizontal gravitational pull towards the center of the disk. It will wreak havoc all over the world.
Also Read: The Discovery of a Number of Flat Planets Surprises Scientists
2. No Atmosphere
The layers of the Earth’s atmosphere are shown in this view of the Earth’s surface from the International Space Station. Image: NASA
Without gravity, a flat Earth would not be able to accommodate a layer of gas called the atmosphere. It is the gravitational force that has been covering our planet. Without that protective blanket, Earth’s skies would turn black. This is because the light emitted by the sun is no longer scattered when it enters the earth’s atmosphere and colors the sky the blue color that we see now.
“The loss of atmospheric pressure will expose plants and animals to the vacuum of space, which causes them to asphyxiate within seconds,” wrote Luis Villazon, a zoologist and educator, as reported by BBC Science Focus.
Without an atmosphere surrounding the Earth, water would boil during the day. Meanwhile, at night the surface temperature will drop drastically, causing the remaining water to freeze quickly. During this time, the atmosphere helps warm the planet.
In contrast, deep sea organisms such as chemosynthetic bacteria that do not require oxygen may be able to survive.
Also Read: 8 Dramatic Events That Will Change the Earth Throughout 2023
3. Sideways Rain and Gathering Oceans
The gravity of a flat Earth will pull all the water towards the North Pole, resulting in bulging oceans gathering there. (Photo by Joel Sharpe)
2024-02-11 11:31:00
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