Mike Hughes , a 64 - twelvemonth - old stuntman who place out to test the Earth ’s conformation , has die while attempt to vanish a steam - power arugula for a television system serial publication . Hughes was widely known as “ Mad Mike ” for his mixture of courageousness and refusal to accept the global nature of the planet . The disaster is a reminder that cabal theories have consequences , and sometimes even plain harmless ones can be fatal .
Hughes builtsteam - power rockets , which he set about to rag . His eventual goal was to reach the Karman line , 100 kilometers ( 62 miles ) above sea level , weigh by some the beginnings of outer space . On Saturday , he was essay a more modest destination of 1,500 meter ( 5,000 feet ) , but even this was too much when his parachute failed to open properly .
A full medical examiner ’s inquiry will no doubt let out more , but it is thought the gravitative forces of the launch knocked Hughes unconscious , leaving him ineffectual to release the parachute on the way down , and back - up chute also go bad to deploy . Hopefully , this at least means Hughes did n’t suffer .
Hughes injured himself during a 2014 flight to a summit of about a kilometer .
Other flights weremore successful .
The roughly spherical contour of the Earth has been know since the ancient world , demonstrated first by the shape of the Earth ’s shadow on the Moon during occultation , and then by the differences in the angle of the Sun at the same clock time across latitudes . The latter breakthrough even permit fairlyaccurate estimatesof the planet ’s circumference 2,300 years ago . rafts more proofs have subsequently emerge , ranging fromcompassesto the existence of GPS .
In an historic period where people have work out we ’re being lied to about a lot of things , however , some people have become positive that everything from agency is a lie . Where others with the same doubts await out the windows of planes or conduct testswith great mullein , Hughes was one to always take things to the next grade .
Hughes ' position as a self - exalt swashbuckler started long before his belief in the flatness of the Earth . After his death , his publiciser Darren Shuster distinguish theLos Angeles TimesHughes was really cognisant of the world ’s on-key frame . “ I do n’t think he trust it . He did have some governmental cabal theories . But do n’t flurry it with that flat Earth thing . That was a atomic number 59 stunt we dreamed up . ”
Hopefully , the lesson from this modern - day Icarus is that you’re able to do extraordinary thing , but base hit requires listening to the sound scientific and engineering advice .
