I did it you guys. I converted a nonbeliever

[G'th]

So, me and my friend just got back from seeing the Martian some two hours ago. And after the movie finished out (and of course I was flush with amazement) he told me that he didn't believe we could really go to Mars or even the Moon!

Yes, my friend is (or, was) one of those people who don't believe spaceflight is actually possible. So, upon hearing this rather than scoffing and getting all huffy puffy, I convinced him to come watch me go to Mars in KSP-RO. And I did, and he was still unconvinced (naturally because this is a game yadda yadda yadda) so then I booted up Orbiter for him.

Now, he's the type of gamer that, much like me, likes to play flight simulators. So, when I booted up Orbiter and did the same thing, it was quite literally like seeing a light-bulb flicker on as he watched me do it. So, once I saw that he was actually open to the idea, I started explaining how it actually works.

And all said and done, I just took him home, now a full on believer. Hooray for science!

[RainDreamer]

Orbiter is still a game, but that is great! XD I think that is how a teacher feels whenever a student finally figure out a hard problem.

[vger]

Doesn't it literally take three days to get to the Moon in Orbiter?

I hope you ordered pizza...

[Shpaget]

Well, the concept and science of going anywhere is sound. There is hard evidence that rockets work, so no reason to think that space flight is impossible.

However, I can understand a person not believing that humans have succeeded in landing on the moon. Propaganda is a terribly powerful thing and if he was exposed to lunar landing conspiracy theories from an early age, I perfectly understand the his situation. There are a lot less credible things I've seen people believe and a lot more obvious things people refuse to accept.

Anyway, good for you two.

Recently I had a similar discussion with some family members. It covered everything from "vacuum produces zero G" misconception to "why it took so long to get to Pluto if we can launch satellites at will" confusion. The former took some explaining or free fall in orbit. The latter involved showing scale pictures of Solar system.

[vger]

The latter involved showing scale pictures of Solar system.

You know those videos they have now of real-time trips through the solar-system at lightspeed? I want someone to build an actual park with a scaled model of the solar system in it that allows you to "walk" from the Sun to Pluto.

[RainDreamer]

You know those videos they have now of real-time trips through the solar-system at lightspeed? I want someone to build an actual park with a scaled model of the solar system in it that allows you to "walk" from the Sun to Pluto.

Like these guys?

http://www.popsci.com/watch-people-build-scale-model-solar-system-in-desert

[vger]

Like these guys?

http://www.popsci.com/watch-people-build-scale-model-solar-system-in-desert

Yes, just like that. And a permanent fixture.

Though while watching that, it hit me that putting markers on a major highway could work too. One frequently traveled like I-95.

[Bill Phil]

Doesn't it literally take three days to get to the Moon in Orbiter?

I hope you ordered pizza...

There's timewarp.

[Kinglet]

There's timewarp.

If we don't have timewarp in real life, it only ruins the realism of the simulation! Plus, pizza is tasty.

[Guest]

If we don't have timewarp in real life, it only ruins the realism of the simulation! Plus, pizza is tasty.

I agree with the pizza part

[vger]

Still actually mesmerized about this. Sadly it also paints a grim picture on our ability to convince people of certain things.

That's something you can't accomplish with photos of space these days, since CGI is just as good as reality, and we can't be there to see where the rocket goes ones its out of view. You show him a working simulation and suddenly he gets it.

But things like evolution and the big bang are so incredibly intangible, that nothing short of a time machine is likely going to help.

[Shpaget]

You know those videos they have now of real-time trips through the solar-system at lightspeed? I want someone to build an actual park with a scaled model of the solar system in it that allows you to "walk" from the Sun to Pluto.

The problem with that is that in order for the planets to be of any appreciable size, they would need to be spaced so far apart that the walk would not be fun.

For example, there is a scale Solar system in Zagreb, Croatia.

The Sun is 2 m in diameter, Earth is just a pebble less than 2 cm in diameter more than 200 m away. Pluto is almost 8 km from the Sun.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Views

[regex]

Yes, just like that. And a permanent fixture.

There's one in my town.

http://www.altonbakerpark.com/solar-system/

3.7 miles to Pluto. Beautiful walk, too.

ehehehehe, I can now say I live between Uranus and Neptune...

[Motokid600]

I have a friend of mine who is a flat earther. Sadly there's no helping him. I've tried everything. It's sad.

I want to take it a step further. If a kid under a certain age goes into school and is heard talking about fake moon landings or a flat earth ( especially the latter ) it should be a social service issue. If your teaching your child that the moon landings are faked, rockets don't work in space, nasa is a fraud and the Earth is flat you deserve to get your kid taken away.

I know if I was a teacher and heard one of my students talking about such things their parents are getting a phone call to see where he learned it. And if it's from them I'm calling social services.

Its lunacy. And these lunatics pass this crap down. That's really, really bad.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Motokid600

[vger]

I want to take it a step further. If a kid under a certain age goes into school and is heard talking about fake moon landings or a flat earth ( especially the latter ) it should be a social service issue. If your teaching your child that the moon landings are faked, rockets don't work in space, nasa is a fraud and the Earth is flat you deserve to get your kid taken away.

Unfortunately, that's a gateway drug to a totalitarian dystopia. You'll have the government dictating what is and isn't OK to teach children. It'll start out with sensible things so nobody complains, and then quickly turn into a propaganda tool.

[Flymetothemun]

Unfortunately, that's a gateway drug to a totalitarian dystopia. You'll have the government dictating what is and isn't OK to teach children. It'll start out with sensible things so nobody complains, and then quickly turn into a propaganda tool.

Agreed. It isn't free speech if wrong things can't be said. I hate to say it, but it's the truth.

And c'mon, saying that you should take somebody's child away just because they think the Earth is flat or that rockets don't work? No offense, but don't you think that's kind of petty, cruel, and heartless? And as far as I know with social services, you only have a case if the child exhibits signs of physical abuse (abnormal bruises, scratches, scrapes, etc) or mental abuse (abnormal anxiety, depression, etc).

And as for your friend who believes that the Earth is flat, if he cannot be convinced, simply let it go. I bet you disagree with your greatest friend on at least one subject, and you both get along fine because of this. Apply the same attitude to your flat-Earth friend. If you allow differing beliefs of another to affect you so greatly then you will have a very difficult life.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Flymetothemun

[pTrevTrevs]

You done good, kid. Making the world a better place, one launch at a time!

[Dispatcher]

I don't know anyone who doesn't believe in space flight or that it isn't possible or hasn't been accomplished. I find it interesting that the OP's friend does, however, play flight sims. And yet it took something else to convince him that space flight is possible or real?

That is curious.

Thanks for sharing with us.

[GeneCash]

You know those videos they have now of real-time trips through the solar-system at lightspeed? I want someone to build an actual park with a scaled model of the solar system in it that allows you to "walk" from the Sun to Pluto.

Wikipedia lists over 40 of them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System_model#Scale_models_in_various_locations

(Including one in Gainesville, just down the road! ROAD TRIP!)

And this is insane: http://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace_solarsystem.html

[benzman]

You know those videos they have now of real-time trips through the solar-system at lightspeed? I want someone to build an actual park with a scaled model of the solar system in it that allows you to "walk" from the Sun to Pluto.

We have one here in Melbourne, Australia.

http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/Solar_System_-_Self_Guided_Walk.pdf

[G'th]

I don't know anyone who doesn't believe in space flight or that it isn't possible or hasn't been accomplished. I find it interesting that the OP's friend does, however, play flight sims. And yet it took something else to convince him that space flight is possible or real?

That is curious.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Well he actually explained it to me. His dad was apparently one of those types as well, so growing up he was already hearing about that. But then came his schooling where his teachers either never really got into it or just plain didn't know how to explain it, and all he ever picked up on was how much radiation is in space.

He knew planes could work and such (because duh) but because no one could explain space travel to him he more or less resigned to being extremely doubtful that it was possible, at least farther out than the Van Allen belts at any rate.

[vger]

He knew planes could work and such (because duh) but because no one could explain space travel to him he more or less resigned to being extremely doubtful that it was possible' date=' at least farther out than the Van Allen belts at any rate.[/quote']

Best to show the Newton cannon drawing. I can understand how hard it would be to grasp how an orbit really works without seeing that first.

He understood planes, so if he heard there was no air in space, the wheels in his head probably came to a grinding halt at that point.

[SemiaCloud]

I agree with the pizza part

Same, also, to the OP, congrats. I have managed to convert a couple nonbelievers myself, one of my gamer friends thought the moon landings where fake, and then flew to the mun in KSP. There was this one kid in my class, he was one of the "why should we go to space if we have so many problems on earth" sorta people, and, after about 3 weeks I finished the job.

[Kerbart]

it hit me that putting markers on a major highway could work too. One frequently traveled like I-95.

Obviously you do not live in NJ, or you would not associate I-95 with "light speed"

[vger]

Obviously you do not live in NJ, or you would not associate I-95 with "light speed"

I-95 runs all the way to Florida. Plenty of good places to do it further south.