2 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

 

I figured you were a teacher. What's my grade?

That's further evidence that you don't understand the scientific method -  firstly, you seem to think that it is somehow significant - e.g. messenger and not the message – and secondly, I'm not a teacher. Your hypothesis is wrong from the start, but you've skipped the theory and are now misusing "fact. This leads me to seriously think the evidence suggests you are not capable of following the conversation.

On 4/18/2025 at 12:57 PM, kwilco said:

Why Wild Ideas Are Thriving (And How to Push Back)

Twenty years ago, flat Earth, fake moon landings, anti-vax fear, and fringe politics were laughed off. Now? They're everywhere. Why?

No more gatekeepers. Anyone can post anything, and shock spreads faster than truth.

Social media rewards outrage, not accuracy.

People have lost trust in institutions after wars, recessions, and pandemics.

Echo chambers reinforce beliefs, no matter how wild.

Simple lies beat complex truths. It's easier to blame a conspiracy than understand science.

Identity politics. Beliefs become tribal, not logical.

How to fight back?

Stay calm. Mockery fuels their fire.

Ask questions. Get people thinking, not defending.

Share sources they might trust—not just "mainstream."

Most importantly: build trust. No one listens to someone they think looks down on them.

It’s not about winning arguments. It’s about planting seeds.

 

Also, why are these conspiracy theories, intentionally inflammatory posts (trolling), and disinformation allowed on this forum while petty things like swear words and misspelling names are not?

 

It's not that hard to separate fact from fiction and enforce it.  Credible links or it's not allowed.  Simple as that.  Quashing the anti-vaxx nonsense is even easier since their stuff is never based on real peer reviewed science.

52 minutes ago, kwilco said:

 You STILL don't grasp even the basics, do you? No hypothesis, no evidence and you don't even know how to use citations – you are still just cherry-picking without any conclusions. - hopeless case.

Safe n effective. The science is settled. 

 

Dear me.

 

Big Pharma writing the rules. Science dictated by $$$ white-coats.

6 minutes ago, shdmn said:

 

Also, why are these conspiracy theories, intentionally inflammatory posts (trolling), and disinformation allowed on this forum while far more petty things like swear words and misspelling names are not?

What '',,,,conspiracy theories, intentionally inflammatory posts (trolling), and disinformation,,,," did you have in mind Sir?

I might believe the moon landings, if someone could show me a photo of the flag on the moon, not from NASA archives.

 

They can take this vid,  of the sun (@ 3:55 of vid below) but no photos of that flag.  Just because I was there, that's not proof, as someone may need collaborating evidence 

 

 

 

12 hours ago, kwilco said:

Here’s a Dummies Edition of the scientific method adapted from the one I give my first years; it’s also a guide to how conspiracy theorists get it wrong.

 

1. Observe something
Notice something real in the natural world.
Conspiracy version: Starts with a conclusion, then goes hunting for anything that might vaguely fit it.

 

2. Ask a clear question
“What is happening, and why?”
Conspiracy version: “Who’s lying to us and how deep does it go?” (Answer preloaded.)

3. Do background research
Check what experts already know and why.
Conspiracy version: Scroll social media until someone angry agrees with them, then stops.

4. Form a hypothesis
A testable explanation that could be proven wrong.
Conspiracy version: Creates an idea that can never be disproven (“If there’s no evidence, that proves the cover-up”).

5. Test with evidence
Use data, experiments, and measurements.
Conspiracy version: Uses anecdotes, vibes, screenshots, and “a bloke I know.”

6. Analyse all results
Look at all the data, especially the inconvenient bits.
Conspiracy version: Deletes anything that contradicts the belief and calls it “fake science.”

7. Draw conclusions
Accept what the evidence shows — even if it’s boring.
Conspiracy version: Rejects the evidence and attacks the people presenting it.

8. Replicate and invite scrutiny
Real science welcomes criticism and replication.
Conspiracy version: Claims persecution the moment anyone asks a question.

9. Update conclusions when new evidence appears
Changing your mind is a strength, not a failure.
Conspiracy version: Never changes their mind — because being wrong would hurt their identity.

10. Learn what “hypothesis”, “theory”, and “fact” actually mean (because this always goes wrong)
•    Hypothesis: A testable idea that can be proven wrong.
•    Theory: A hypothesis that survived repeated testing and evidence (e.g. gravity, evolution, germ theory).
•    Fact: An observed measurement — not a belief, feeling, or Facebook post.
If you think “theory” means “guess” or “fact” means “what I’m convinced of", you’re not questioning science — you’re just misunderstanding the words.

 

Final Reminder
Being sceptical (in science or philosophy) means questioning everything — including yourself.
If your belief never changes no matter how much evidence appears, you’re not doing science.
 

 

You're using too complicated words, can you simplify it for me?

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I might believe the moon landings, if someone could show me a photo of the flag on the moon, not from NASA archives.

 

They can take this vid,  of the sun (@ 3:55 of vid below) but no photos of that flag.  Just because I was there, that's not proof, as someone may need collaborating evidence 

 

 

 

 

First picture is probably some guy's rug.

On 12/24/2025 at 2:59 AM, KhunLA said:

I might believe the moon landings, if someone could show me a photo of the flag on the moon, not from NASA archives.

 

They can take this vid,  of the sun (@ 3:55 of vid below) but no photos of that flag.  Just because I was there, that's not proof, as someone may need collaborating evidence 

 

 

 

what aout AS11-40-5952: Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment as left on the Moon by Apollo 11?

I haven't tried it myself but its said you can bounce a laser off the moon

even without a reflector...

Radio amateurs have been bouncing

signals off the moon for ages.

so it is odd that there is a lack of images or live feed of the flag from a high..ish powerd telescope.

4 hours ago, kwilco said:

what aout AS11-40-5952: Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment as left on the Moon by Apollo 11?

 

On 12/24/2025 at 9:59 AM, KhunLA said:

I might believe the moon landings, if someone could show me a photo of the flag on the moon,

 

    .....    not from NASA archives .... 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

 

 

 

The funniest thing, of course, is to read  the "scientific explanations" for these impossibilities…

 

So how is this thread progressing?

Have you decided "what to do with them" yet? 

 

6 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

So how is this thread progressing?

Have you decided "what to do with them" yet? 

 

 

Have a good chuckle at them.   Especially after you use them for your financial advantage.

On 4/19/2025 at 2:57 AM, kwilco said:

Why Wild Ideas Are Thriving (And How to Push Back)

Twenty years ago, flat Earth, fake moon landings, anti-vax fear, and fringe politics were laughed off. Now? They're everywhere. Why?

No more gatekeepers. Anyone can post anything, and shock spreads faster than truth.

Social media rewards outrage, not accuracy.

People have lost trust in institutions after wars, recessions, and pandemics.

Echo chambers reinforce beliefs, no matter how wild.

Simple lies beat complex truths. It's easier to blame a conspiracy than understand science.

Identity politics. Beliefs become tribal, not logical.

How to fight back?

Stay calm. Mockery fuels their fire.

Ask questions. Get people thinking, not defending.

Share sources they might trust—not just "mainstream."

Most importantly: build trust. No one listens to someone they think looks down on them.

It’s not about winning arguments. It’s about planting seeds.

What to do about them?! Encourage the deep thinkers.

 

The truth shall set you free.

14 minutes ago, Stiddle Mump said:

What to do about them?! Encourage the deep thinkers.

 

The truth shall set you free.

You must be locked up somewhere then........

41 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

So how is this thread progressing?

Have you decided "what to do with them" yet? 

 

 

It has long been decided what to do with us. All that is needed now is an authoritarian guy to come and organise the logistics of it.

 

9 hours ago, johng said:

I haven't tried it myself but its said you can bounce a laser off the moon

even without a reflector...

Radio amateurs have been bouncing

signals off the moon for ages.

so it is odd that there is a lack of images or live feed of the flag from a high..ish powerd telescope.

Instead of making dumb statements... why don't you ask smart questions?

 

AI says:

 

There's a lack of images of the Moon flags from powerful telescopes because even the biggest Earth-based telescopes, and even Hubble Space Telescope, can't resolve such small objects from the ~238,000-mile distance; the flag is simply too tiny (a few feet) for their limited angular resolution, requiring telescopes hundreds of meters wide (like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) orbiting the Moon) to see details like shadows, not the flags themselves. 

Why Telescopes Can't See Them

1. Distance & Angular Resolution: The Moon is incredibly far away. An object's angular size (how big it appears in the sky) shrinks dramatically with distance. A 4-foot flag at that distance appears smaller than the wavelength of light, making it impossible to distinguish.
2. Telescope Size Matters: A telescope's ability to resolve detail (its resolution) is directly related to the diameter of its mirror or lens. To see a small flag on the Moon, you'd need a telescope mirror over 200 meters wide, far bigger than anything on Earth or even in orbit.
3. Atmospheric Blur: Earth's atmosphere further limits the resolution of even huge ground telescopes, preventing them from achieving the sharpness needed.
4. Hubble's Limits: Even Hubble Space Telescope can only resolve objects about the size of a football field on the Moon, not small items like flags or rovers. 

 

What equipment is required to measure the distance to the moon with a laser?

 

Measuring the Moon's distance with lasers requires specialized Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) stations with a powerful, pulsed laser, a large telescope to both transmit the beam and collect faint returns, extremely precise timing equipment (atomic clocks), sensitive photon detectors, and sophisticated computers to process the data, plus the crucial Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflectors left on the Moon by Apollo missions to bounce the light back. 

 

Key Equipment at Earth-Based LLR Stations:

• Powerful, Pulsed Laser: Generates short, intense pulses of light, often in the visible or near-infrared spectrum, to send to the Moon.
• Large Telescope (e.g., 3.5m): Acts as both a giant laser pointer and a light collector, expanding the beam and gathering the few returning photons.
• Gimbal System & Tracker: Precisely points the telescope and tracks the Moon as the Earth rotates.
• Precise Timing System: Uses atomic clocks (like GNSS-steered rubidium) to measure the laser pulse's round-trip time with picosecond accuracy.
• Sensitive Detector: Specialized photodetectors (like APDs or photomultipliers) to capture the extremely weak returning signal (often just one photon per several pulses).
• Optical Bench & Filters: Directs the laser and filters out background light to isolate the tiny return signal.
• Computing Power: Processes vast amounts of data to correct for atmospheric effects and calculate distances. 

30 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

Instead of making dumb statements... why don't you ask smart questions?

 

AI says:

 

There's a lack of images of the Moon flags from powerful telescopes because even the biggest Earth-based telescopes, and even Hubble Space Telescope, can't resolve such small objects from the ~238,000-mile distance; the flag is simply too tiny (a few feet) for their limited angular resolution, requiring telescopes hundreds of meters wide (like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) orbiting the Moon) to see details like shadows, not the flags themselves. 

Why Telescopes Can't See Them

1. Distance & Angular Resolution: The Moon is incredibly far away. An object's angular size (how big it appears in the sky) shrinks dramatically with distance. A 4-foot flag at that distance appears smaller than the wavelength of light, making it impossible to distinguish.
2. Telescope Size Matters: A telescope's ability to resolve detail (its resolution) is directly related to the diameter of its mirror or lens. To see a small flag on the Moon, you'd need a telescope mirror over 200 meters wide, far bigger than anything on Earth or even in orbit.
3. Atmospheric Blur: Earth's atmosphere further limits the resolution of even huge ground telescopes, preventing them from achieving the sharpness needed.
4. Hubble's Limits: Even Hubble Space Telescope can only resolve objects about the size of a football field on the Moon, not small items like flags or rovers. 

 

What equipment is required to measure the distance to the moon with a laser?

 

Measuring the Moon's distance with lasers requires specialized Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) stations with a powerful, pulsed laser, a large telescope to both transmit the beam and collect faint returns, extremely precise timing equipment (atomic clocks), sensitive photon detectors, and sophisticated computers to process the data, plus the crucial Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflectors left on the Moon by Apollo missions to bounce the light back. 

 

Key Equipment at Earth-Based LLR Stations:

• Powerful, Pulsed Laser: Generates short, intense pulses of light, often in the visible or near-infrared spectrum, to send to the Moon.
• Large Telescope (e.g., 3.5m): Acts as both a giant laser pointer and a light collector, expanding the beam and gathering the few returning photons.
• Gimbal System & Tracker: Precisely points the telescope and tracks the Moon as the Earth rotates.
• Precise Timing System: Uses atomic clocks (like GNSS-steered rubidium) to measure the laser pulse's round-trip time with picosecond accuracy.
• Sensitive Detector: Specialized photodetectors (like APDs or photomultipliers) to capture the extremely weak returning signal (often just one photon per several pulses).
• Optical Bench & Filters: Directs the laser and filters out background light to isolate the tiny return signal.
• Computing Power: Processes vast amounts of data to correct for atmospheric effects and calculate distances. 

 

obviously, you didn't ask the question the correct way ...

... don't ask why it can't, ask 'what are the best' .. NASA loves to brag, but, no flag photo, which is kind of strange actually, since they tried every other kind of can.

 

My theory is, aliens stole the flag, and burned it in protest 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

It has long been decided what to do with us. All that is needed now is an authoritarian guy to come and organise the logistics of it.

 

So it's been 5 years since Covid.

 

So when is it going to happen? When is Mr. Authoritarian going to come along?

 

This is part of the conspiracy -- fake fear-mongering that keeps people trapped in fear. 

 

 

47 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

So it's been 5 years since Covid.

 

So when is it going to happen? When is Mr. Authoritarian going to come along?

 

This is part of the conspiracy -- fake fear-mongering that keeps people trapped in fear. 

 

 

 

It was sarcasm, frogs.

 

That said, everything was ready and operational at the time, but Operation Warp Speed derailed the plan and drove it into the ground, fortunately.

 

 

https://archive.ph/KsvyG

52 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

 

It was sarcasm, frogs.

 

That said, everything was ready and operational at the time, but Operation Warp Speed derailed the plan and drove it into the ground, fortunately.

 

https://archive.ph/KsvyG

LOL..... you'll believe anything that your twisted queries cough up.  Tyler Durden.... LOL

On 12/23/2025 at 9:24 PM, Stiddle Mump said:

Why do people believe there was a pandemic called COVID-19? Because they were told so. And that led them to wear masks and roll up their sleeves. Turned out that a lot of white-coats were wrong.

And why do believe 1890's science?  Because you read it somewhere.  And that led you to some obsession with out of date science..... time to wake up!  You've been in a self-induced coma!

On 12/24/2025 at 1:48 PM, rattlesnake said:

 

You're using too complicated words, can you simplify it for me?

You mean like those graphic fiction publications you're used to?

On 12/23/2025 at 11:05 PM, Stiddle Mump said:

Safe n effective. The science is settled. 

 

Dear me.

 

Big Pharma writing the rules. Science dictated by $$$ white-coats.

You desparately  need to read Bad Science by Ben Goldacre.

3 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

LOL..... you'll believe anything that your twisted queries cough up.  Tyler Durden.... LOL

 

The source is the Brownstone Institute.

22 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

You mean like those graphic fiction publications you're used to?

 

Yes please.

Homo moronus.

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

Homo moronus.

 

 

 

 

You seem to share an obsession with #47 about windmills.  It's an old affliction first noted in 1605.  Sadly, instead of being mounted on a horse, you've saddled up only donkey and using a foam noodle instead of a lance.  Should we call you Don?

9 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

 

The source is the Brownstone Institute.

you missed the author's byline?.......LOL. typical.

10 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

And why do believe 1890's science?  Because you read it somewhere.  And that led you to some obsession with out of date science..... time to wake up!  You've been in a self-induced coma!

1890's medical science was a lot closer to nature than the science - if it is even remotely scientific - of today. All the white-coats - most of them - want to do is get you sick, keep you that way and pump you full of poisons. With one eye on the clock and the other on their bank balance.

 

As I've said many times on AN; the body will heal itself if given the right environment, support and tools. The poisons, the medicine, the white-coats prescribe only suppress symptoms. The root causes of the illness are not usually investigated. After all; a well person is not a customer or $$$ earner.

 

And there is a reason for the white-coats being so out of touch. It's all to do with their sub-standard, anti-nature education.

 

Nature has the answers we seek.