What Would Happen If the Earth Were Flat?

According to Live Science, a flat planet would have no gravity and atmosphere. Humans and all other living beings could not survive.

What Would Happen If We Lived on a Flat Earth

1. A disk structure cannot exist
2. Denial of a truth
3. Goodbye to gravity
4. The atmosphere would disappear
5. Clouds, rain, and oceans would lie… flat
6. We would all be lost
7. The auroras would disappear and we would all be “cooked”
8. We would all have to share the same night sky
9. Storm systems would be a thing of the past

The spherical shape of Earth is an evident truth discovered by humanity over thousands of years. Since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 in 1957, this has a solid practical basis, clearly observable. However, there is still a growing group of people who believe the Earth is flat.

They provide various reasons to support their claim that Earth is a flat disk, despite the fact that it is spherical. But if for some strange reason Earth were flat, our planet would be very different from what it is today.

“To create a disk-shaped cosmic entity, you would have to spin it very fast,” Live Science quotes David Stevenson, a researcher in California, as saying. “Unfortunately, this would destroy the planet by tearing it into tiny particles.”

1. A disk structure cannot exist

In the 1850s, astronomer James Clerk Maxwell used mathematical models to demonstrate that a disk-like shape is not a stable structure in the universe.

Life cannot exist on a flat Earth. (Image: Shutterstock).

After studying the rings of Saturn, Maxwell believed they were made up of many small particles that were not bound together. His model also explains why no disk-shaped planets exist in the galaxy.

To flatten Earth without spinning it very fast, you would need… magic. But even then, that shape would not last long. Within a few hours, gravity would force the planet back into a spherical shape.

Gravity acts equally from all sides, which explains why planets in the galaxy commonly take on the shape of spheres (or nearly so, depending on the speed of rotation). A flat Earth cannot exist under the actual conditions of gravity, as Maxwell’s mathematical models have shown.

Without gravity, everything about our planet would lose meaning. The atmosphere, tides, and the Moon would disappear.

Gravity also creates Earth’s layered structure. The heaviest materials sink to the core, lighter ones form the subsequent layers, and the lightest materials create the crust. Without this layered structure, the planet would be very different.

2. Denial of a truth

The outer shell of Earth acts like a giant magnet, creating a magnetic field that protects the planet’s atmosphere from the effects of solar winds. Mars’ atmosphere disappeared 4 billion years ago simply because its magnetic field was not strong enough.

“If Earth were flat, tectonic plates would not function either,” said James Davis, a geophysicist at Columbia University in New York.

Earth as seen from the Moon. (Image: NASA).

“Simply think, if this plate moves a lot, then the other plates must move accordingly, and that only happens on a sphere,” he told Live Science. “You will not get the correct answers compared to actual observations if Earth is flat.”

Those who believe in a flat Earth always try to explain everything in a way that allows it to exist on a flat plane. The problem is that these arguments have no basis in mathematics or physical reality.

When Maxwell predicted that the rings of Saturn were composed of many small particles, he applied common knowledge of gravity, rotational motion, and calculations based on mathematical equations.

Setting all reasons aside, if Earth were flat, it would mean millions of scientists collectively deny the truth. Thus, throughout human history, they would be united in a vast conspiracy for an incomprehensible reason. This alone is a clear absurdity.

3. Goodbye to gravity

According to the calculations of mathematician and physicist James Clerk Maxwell in the 1850s, a flat Earth would likely have no gravity since it would resemble a solid plane, inevitably, if gravity appeared, it would immediately revert to its original spherical state.

Moreover, an interesting fact is that if our Earth became flat, gravity would pull everything toward the center of the plane – at this point, the center of Earth would be the North Pole. Therefore, it would not be surprising to see a tree growing tilted to one side instead of standing upright as before.

4. The atmosphere would disappear

Without gravity, Earth would be unable to retain the atmosphere above us. When this protective layer is gone, the sky would turn black because sunlight could no longer scatter. This would lead to light not reflecting, so we would not be able to see the blue sky as usual but only a black color instead.

Additionally, without an atmosphere surrounding the planet, water would boil in a vacuum since the vapor pressure of water would equal atmospheric pressure. Conversely, if atmospheric pressure is lower, this means that the boiling temperature would also be lower. Furthermore, the atmosphere helps warm the planet, so when it is gone, the surface temperature would drop significantly, causing any remaining water on Earth to freeze quickly.

5. Clouds, rain, and oceans would lie… flat

Gravity would pull everything toward the center of the planet, which in this case is the North Pole, so clouds and rain would be drawn toward that point. Only at the center of Earth would the weather function vertically; the farther from the center, the more horizontal it would become. According to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, water in rivers and oceans would also flow toward the center, meaning that the largest oceans would concentrate at the North Pole while the edges of Earth would become arid.

6. We would all be lost

Satellites would struggle to orbit a flat plane.

Satellites might not exist if the Earth were flat, as they encounter difficulties orbiting a flat surface. According to James Davis, a geophysicist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University: “There are several important satellites that contribute to the overall functioning of human society, such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), GPS services on phones… all of these would be affected“. It’s hard to imagine what the world would be like without GPS, but one thing is certain: many people would get lost…

7. The Aurora Borealis Would Disappear and We Would All Be “Cooked”

Inside the spherical core of the Earth, there are electric currents that generate a magnetic field to protect us, bending around the planet from pole to pole. However, on a flat Earth without a core to create a magnetic field, the protective atmosphere would also be absent, allowing humans to absorb all the heat radiated from the sun. With such intense heat, it wouldn’t be long before we would all be scorched. Additionally, we would likely miss out on witnessing the beautiful displays of the aurora borealis as charged particles from the sun would no longer interact with oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere as they do now.

8. We Would All Share the Same Night Sky

A flat Earth would not be divided into hemispheres like our current Earth. Thus, day and night would not be disrupted regardless of whether you are in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. Furthermore, we would all experience the same night sky no matter where we are on this planet. Stargazing would become easier for everyone. Additionally, we could access a 360-degree view of the universe right from Earth or simply rely on telescopes to expand our cosmic perspective.

We would all share the same night sky no matter where we are.

9. Hurricanes Would Be a Thing of the Past

Every year, storms and tornadoes cause catastrophic damage to lives and property. According to NOAA, in 2017 alone, Hurricane Harvey caused $125 billion (90 billion GBP) in damage to the United States. Moreover, the alternating nature of tropical storms originates from the Coriolis effect of the Earth, causing storms in the Northern Hemisphere to rotate clockwise and storms in the Southern Hemisphere to rotate counterclockwise. However, on a flat, static Earth, the Coriolis effect would cease to exist. This means there would be no hurricanes, cyclones, or tornadoes.

What do you think about life on a flat Earth?