* Message originally: To : All Date: 03-24-91 Area: 'Space ' I believe I have discovered

 * Message originally:
     From: Peter Kerwin
     To  : All
     Date: 03-24-91
     Area: "Space "

I believe I have discovered a more reasonable argument to explain the effect
of gravity and the orbits of satellites. I am not a member of the Flat Earth
Society, but I guess it is a similar dissatisfaction with current thinking on
gravitation that lead me to my conclusion.

Astrophysics suggests some unseen force caused by the mass of matter under the
back lawn keeps my feet firmly pressed into the grass. This apparently happens
despite the Earth's spin attempting to fling me off into outer space. If I
take a bucket of water and whirl it about the water stays inside. However, any
water leaking outside the container shoots straight off. This suggests to me
that the Earth is round and spinning, but we are on the inside.

No theory without proof though. Those of you still not swayed in spite of this
compelling argument, will be convinced by the following evidence. If you
remove one of your sneakers and hold it up you will notice a distinct profile.
The sole is curved, but not in the manner suggested by current astronomical
thinking, that is, concave to follow the outside of a sphere. It is instead
convex and thus fits the inside of a sphere very nicely. Obviously we are on
the inside of the Earth.

Solid Earth fanatics will question this logic. Where do satellites orbit?
they'll ask. The answer is ingenuous - why bother? Companies charge millions
of dollars for the construction and `launch' of a communications satellite,
but how do we know they sent anything up there into so-called `geo-stationary'
orbit. Afterward they suggest pointing your `satellite communications dish' at
a certain part of the sky and you'll be able to talk to London. Of course you
can - the folks in London have pointed their dish at the appropriate point in
`space' too - directly at your dish. Next thing they hope to convince us of
buying is a space-plane. It will naturally follow the same path and get there
faster than any other craft.

With the money involved in spacecraft and communications, this sort of
knowledge is a closely guarded secret. Those promulgating this secret run the
risk of disappearing like the guy who discovered how to run his car on water.
I'm currently in hiding with an author. Apparently he upset someone with some
book of verse or something.

(Return mail and any questions should be directed to NASA)
... Pete