I’ve always wanted to see a physical argument between an astrophysicist and a flat earther.

Well...

Realistically, I *have* tested it.

You could very realistically test it too, just book the next flight with a 2U payload.

I'm not saying you CAN'T realistically test your claims. But, most times, it's conjecture.

Well, it is all conjecture at some degree.

The importance is, after enough redundancy, it ceases being a fallacy.

it's *unsubstantiated*, then.

usually.

from what I see here most days.

Well...name one thing that is definitively substantiated without requiring conjecture or some kind of appeal to authority.

Well, I've done my own sims in 3D programs to support points.

and provided them for people to see on this server.

I've back up claims with evidence that I try to do myself.

But...are you not appealing to the authority of the program itself?

That's the thing, if we deny any authority whatsoever, we throw out anything that is provable by those more informed than us and regulate ourselves to doing only the most basic of 'provable' functions.

which, themselves, are not even fully provable.

I completely agree with you about denying authority. Modern humans would not be where they are today without appealing to authority.

I think the question there is, however...

But you are nitpicking debate tactics here.

To what degree is it acceptable to appeal to authority?

Eh, nitpicking is my specialty, as in this case I think it holds valid meaning.

If we refuse appeals to authority of any magnitude, we refuse everything.

for some reason observable only means "observable with the resources i immediately have access to", which doesn't make sense. It's pretty clear the level of wealth needed to observe some of these phenomena is actually possesed by people alive today

Something like a black hole though? Yeah a true skeptic may never see "observable" evidence

because no one really has good enough resourceses to fly out and see one or something, and likely no one ever will

Well, if you could fly out there and see one...you're probably already in it.

Does anyone here think the earth is flat, cause it’s round

And seeing would be rather hard.

Plenty do.

But, most of them are asleep right now.

I'd disagree with that. It's not one or the other. I'm not a flat earther, but I can understand a flat earther finding it hard to believe that satellites adjust for time dilation because there is *basically* no way to confirm this for ourselves other than trusting an authority. You can compare this to something like, "I used a telescope to check my claim, here's a picture I took". There is a difference.

basically no way to confirm, given my resources yes

Well, it doesn't really change much though if it is true or not.

You know some people don’t believe in gravity

Yes.

Check above.

most flat earthers do not believe in gravity.

What’s keeping us from floating up into the stratosphere

I'm not sure I'd say most, but the most public ones, I'd agree.

They argue it is density.