Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [earth]

The planet on which we live — the third planet from the sun. It consists of an inner core made of iron and nickel, an outer core of liquid metal, a mantle, and, on the outside, a crust.

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Are some oceans so remote that the closest person is in the space station?

I was listening to BBC news radio last night - 18th day of May 2017 and I heard this guest who was campaigning for people to stop dumping trash in the oceans. Probably not the same very words but the meaning is the same: "... some oceans are so…
Gandalf
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Is Earth as smooth as a billiard ball?

I've heard it said (on the YouTube channel vsauce) that the earth is smoother than a billiards ball if it's scaled down. Is this true? Of course the earth is relatively smooth: Mt. Everest: ~10km+ Mariana Trench: ~13km- Earth's Diameter:…
Coomie
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Is "Earth Overshoot Day" a useful or reliable metric of humanity's effect on the world?

Apparently, we are rapidly approaching Earth overshoot day and that day gets earlier every year. The Guardian explains: Humanity is devouring our planet’s resources in increasingly destructive volumes, according to a new study that reveals we have…
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Was the Earth one big ocean once?

Many people believe that Earth was one big ocean at some point in its past. During Noah’s time the earth was completely covered with water. There are many other examples, not all related to Noah. See here, here, here, here and so on. Is that…
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Was the Earth originally smaller and ocean-free?

This article on Viewzone proposes that the Earth used to be smaller, and the existing continents fitted neatly together, covering the entire globe with land. As the Earth expanded, the oceans formed, pushing the continents apart. Shortly after…
HackToHell
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Would life not exist on Earth if it was one kilometer closer to, or farther from, the sun?

A lot of my friends (especially creationist ones) tell me that if planet earth was one kilometer closer to the sun, it would heat up too much and life wouldn't exist. On the other hand, if planet earth was one kilometer farther from the sun, it…
Moe
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How much has Magnetic North shifted in the last few years and would this affect aeronautics?

I was talking to a contractor at a major U.S. airport, a Project Manager who told that they were moving the runways due to the shifting of 'Magnetic North'. I have heard that the poles have shifted even after the Chilean quake that registered at…
Charlie Brown
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Did Earth collide with a planet in its early days of formation?

I was watching documentary about Earth's formation National Geographic. They made this following statement. ......An astonishing event is about to take place.The Earth is on a collision course with another planet and about to experience the biggest…
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Has there been a rise of flat-Earthers?

From this tweet by Neil deGrasse Tyson: The rise of flat-Earthers in the United States... And from The Guardian Researchers believe they have identified the prime driver for a startling rise in the number of people who think the Earth is…
Barry Harrison
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What was the density of prehistoric Earth atmosphere (dinosaurs buoyancy theory)

There is a site by David Esker named Dinosaur Theory: dinosaurtheory.com. David says that dinosaurs was so big because the early (at dinosaurs age) earth atmosphere was very dense and most mass of extinct giant reptilians and other non-avian…
osgx
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Is the Yellowstone volcano due to explode?

With NASA plans for stopping a potential cataclysm I found the following statement repeated by several news sources (like BBC): But Yellowstone explodes roughly every 600,000 years, and it is about 600,000 years since it last exploded, which should…
Maciej Piechotka
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Is the Bible (Christian and Hebrew) the first one to suggest that the Earth is a sphere?

This website claims that the bible is the first to suggest that earth is a sphere way before the Greeks. A literal translation of Job 26:10 is “He described a circle upon the face of the waters, until the day and night come to an end.” A …
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Is the pale blue dot Earth?

Is the pale blue dot Earth in the image taken by Voyager? What I'm wondering is, why is there no other thing visible in the frame(like sun, other planets etc.,). How is the camera able to capture only Earth ?
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Did the Indian Mathematician Aryabhata state that the earth was round and calculate diameter of earth

Aryabhata was a genius mathematician, no doubt. But there is also the books about astronomy supposedly written by him. It is believed by Indians that he stated that earth was round. He belonged to 476 AD. The claims that state what Aryabhata stated…
kuwami
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Proof that the earth is round?

There are people claiming that the earth is flat. Most notably the flat earth society. While I believe this is mostly run by people with good knowledge of science having a fun side-project, I'm having a hard time disproving them. How do you really…
Filip Haglund
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