As the end of another year approaches, no argument or subject of research has seemed more nonsensical and without reasonable merit than that of the Flat Earth Theory. Yes, as we approach 2018, people far and wide, including academia, are seriously discussing the shape of the planet on which they dwell.
To understand, most proponents of the Flat Earth Theory believe the Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle at the center, and a 150 meter tall wall of ice around the edge, in Antarctica. They explain day and night are a result of the sun and the moon being spheres, measuring 51 kilometers, and moving in a circular motion 4989 kilometers above the plane of the flat Earth. Like spotlights, these celestial spheres illuminate different parts of the planet in 24 hours cycles. In the Flat Earth Theory, there also is an invisible Anti-Moon that obscures the moon during lunar eclipses. In addition, gravity on the flat Earth is actually nonexistent, since the shape of the disc would collapse on itself. According to proponents of the Flat Earth Theory, the flat Earth disk spins up to 9.8 square meters per second and is driven by a mysterious force called dark matter.
Regardless of photographs and videos recorded from space, there still are believers who argue the Earth is flat. One of them is a doctoral candidate who recently shook up the Arab scientific community when she presented her thesis claiming the Earth is flat and stationary, the center of the universe, and approximately 13,500 years old.
As noted by Gulf News, people on a global scale are reported to have found this thesis ridiculous, because it soundly rejects all modern science. Others, however, are seeing this as very disturbing, since the thesis has been written by a Ph.D candidate, that being the highest degree in academia awarded graduate study.
To sum up this student’s doctoral thesis, she suggests the Earth is flat, very young, and that it remains stationary in the middle of the Universe. She also claims the Sun has an average diameter of 1,135 kilometers and not 1.4 million. The moon has a width of 908 kilometers, and are located 687 and 23 times closer to Earth, respectively.
After five years of serious study and work, the student presented her thesis, submitting it to two assessors, and eventually passing the first stage of approval. The next step is scheduling for defense of the thesis.
There has been criticism posted online, suggesting this has been a hoax, and there is no student nor a thesis. However, that has not been proven, whereas the thesis has been circulated. If it should prove to be authentic and successful, the student will be awarded her Ph.D, and the Flat Earth Theory will have gained legitimate standing in academia and the scientific community.
Galactic Junction 