How is it that the earth is round but everywhere we go everything is level?

Question

When you go to South America you're not upside down it's just like when your home.

Answer 1

Gravity acts perpendicular to a tangent of the earth and that is what we define as level. All the perpendiculars pass through the center of the earth (mostly.)

Answer 2

Its all about scale.... the earth is so large that the curvature is so gradual that it is almost imperceptible.

Think about this....imagine yourself a flea on an inflated balloon. Although from a distance we humans can see that the balloon is round, the fleas perspective is much smaller and to him its just a big bouncy flat red surface.

Ever been on a airplane at altitude....when you look out the window you can see curve in the horizon. Same with being on a ship in the open ocean. Looking at the unobstructed horizon shows some small degree of curvature.

Answer 3

You wish, "level!"

It's all a matter of perception.

As for South America, I was fortunate enough to have spent 24 weeks at the South Pole. 90-degrees South latitude. From which point, obviously, it could be argued that no matter which direction one proceeds in, it will be NORTH. Go figure.

When you do get back to Einstein, e.g., relatively, etc., you can discuss "level!" (Archimedes hinted at it, too.)

You'd really only have to go back to Copernicus (c.1500?). You'll see, Heliocentrism is the going thing. It has nothing to do with gravity (or reality?), unless it refers to how light waves are bent, which might be shown to distort perception. But that's another kinda math. None of which has anything to do with either the nature of the universe, or, more elusive, "reality."

Answer 4

You can actually 'see' the curve of the earth if you are somewhere really flat with no trees. The middle of the ocean or a prairie for example. If you look straight ahead on a clear day there is a horizon where you are looking over the curve way far away.
Down is the way things fall, which is always towards the center of the earth.

Answer 5

Everything is level because the earth curves very slowly. If you watch a cruise ship leave port you will eventually see its mast disappear over the horizon. This is because it has gone around enough of the curve to disappear from your *straight* line of sight.

When you go to Antartica you are not upside down because gravity pulls everything down and for those at that location your inner ear interprets this as right-side up. The middle ear interprets the ground to be the direction gravity pulls you towards.

Answer 6

because its so big is gives the illusion of being flat however if you want to see how the world is round with your own eyes just do this little experiment
go somewhere where you can see moving boats
watch one specific boat that heads away from shore for awhile
eventually you'll notice that the hull of the boat would be gone yet you can still see the mast
if the world was flat it would just be a fading spot right?

Answer 7

gravity...plus the earth isnt round at all turns out..its more pear shaped...the nothern hemisphere is smaller