Rapper B.o.B. raising funds to check if Earth is flat
NASASpoiler: The Earth is not flat.
But US rapper B.o.B. is crowd-funding the launch of satellites to see if he can get some evidence to the contrary.
The rapper, whose real name is Bobby Ray Simmons Jr, has been a vocal proponent of the Flat Earth theory – the claim the Earth is, in fact, a disc and not spherical.
Some proponents of the Flat Earth theory claim NASA employees guard the edge of the world to prevent people falling off.
Seeking to raise $200,000 (£150,000) on the GoFundMe crowd-funding website, B.o.B refers to himself as “Flat Earth Bob”. At the time of writing he had raised a little over $650, but the campaign was trending on the GoFundMe site.
‘Show me the curve’
“I’m starting this GoFundMe because I would like to send one, if not multiple satellites, as far into space as I can, or into orbit as I can, to find the curve,” he said in a video on the page.
“I’m looking for the curve,” he added.
The curve which B.o.B refers to is a recurring theme in Flat Earthers’ conspiracy theories. Adherents believe that, were the Earth actually round, then the curvature of the Earth would be more visible to the naked eye.
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It is not the first time that the rapper has voiced his doubts. In 2016 he became embroiled in a Twitter spat with renowned astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
“The cities in the background are approximately 16 miles apart,” he said, tweeting a picture of the skyline on the horizon.
“Where is the curve? Please explain this”.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson was on hand to do just that.
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“Earth’s curve indeed blocks 150 foot of Manhattan,” he wrote. “But most buildings in Midtown are waaay taller than that”.
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Some of those who have donated to B.o.B.’s campaign have expressed support for the rapper.
“When/if you do make sure you let me know,” one person who donated $20 wrote. “I’ve been trying to tell folks that there is no curve, therefore the Earth is not a globe”.
Others were more sceptical. “Here’s $5 to prove yourself wrong,” another donor commented.
By UGC and Social News team
