Prominent flat earther to now change focus to study for the possibility of an afterlife
Going well for him so far, 100% success rate now he's completed phase #1 of his mission, can't wait to hear about phase #2
I suspect I found the error in his calculations.
He forgot to apply correction for curvature of the earth
haha you evil bastards
On the upside, he has proved his Hard Earth Theory.
Gravity is a thing then? Who knew? 🤷♂️
He is now definitely a flat earther...
Shouldn't laugh, but it was inevitable.
I wondered if he got high enough to see the curve.
His rocket was tampered with by the forces of evil to prevent the truth from being revealed, thus keeping the masses oppressed by believing that they live on a spherical planet. It’s obvious to anyone.
Steam powered rocket ! Nuts
His rocket was tampered with by the forces of evil to prevent the truth from being revealed, thus keeping the masses oppressed by believing that they live on a spherical planet. It’s obvious to anyone.
Is there a Godwins law equivalent for all conspiracy theories leading back to antisemitism lol?
Where was Waldo?
How high did he get?
Is there a Godwins law equivalent for all conspiracy theories leading back to antisemitism
Genuinely puzzled; how is that antisemitism?
The original article in the BBC quoted him as saying "I have no idea if the earth is flat it round, I just want to see it myself" (or something like that). The project was funded by the flat earth society. So it sounds like a good wheeze to get somebody else to pay for a madcap adventure.
(And how cool does a steam powered rocket sound)
He also held the record for jumping a stretch limo.
I think the world needs more eccentrics like that.
That was my understanding also.
"Ambitious and brave man dies a horrible death in pursuit of his passion" doesn't sell as well as laughing at a loony though.
How high did he get?
Before he came up with the idea for a steam rocket or before the paranoia set in?
Steam powered rocket !
Not even Fred Dibnah tried that.
^ you guys are right. It is insensitive to poke fun and the world does need people like this. It is a shame that he has died.
With the help of his partner Waldo Stakes, Hughes was trying to reach an altitude of 5,000ft
Seems an awfully risky thing to do to get to a height a fair way below what most light aircraft can get to?
“Ambitious and brave man dies a horrible death in pursuit of his passion” doesn’t sell as well as laughing at a loony though.
I'm sorry he's dead, but "ambitious and brave"? Nah.
Is there a Godwins law equivalent for all conspiracy theories leading back to antisemitism lol?
I have no idea what that means, no idea at all.
The thing is, there are ways of getting to a height where the earth’s curvature is apparent without taking the sort of risks this guy did.
The thing is, there are ways of getting to a height where the earth’s curvature is apparent without taking the sort of risks this guy did.
No, planes are controlled by THEM. Planes spread chemtrails and what you see out the window is all holographs and CGI to make you believe.
Airbus and Boeing must be in on it too. Bastards.
No, planes are controlled by THEM.
The heights he was trying to get to, he could have walked up a big hill, or got a chairlift.
Well, he achieved more in terms of pursuing his dreams than I ever have.
And I think if most of the people taking the piss were honest they'd admit he achieved more than they have as well.
Fair play to him.
Went to Kennedy Space Centre, they're all about pursuit of dreams - a lot has been achieved there, and not without cost. This guy would have done well to put more faith in science and less in ego.
I'm not saying that we should emulate him, just that it's better to take inspiration wherever you can find it.
I have several projects I would like to pursue tomorrow. Instead I'm going to go and sit in a ****ing office doing a job I really can't be arsed with anymore in the interests of paying the mortgage, watching my life slowly drip away day by day.
I could do with being a bit more Mike Hughes, I reckon.
Maybe it's just me.
I'm not against pursuit of dreams, quite the contrary - I would say chose the objects of your inspiration more carefully than he did.
Genuinely puzzled; how is that antisemitism?
I wasn't saying you were - hence the "lol" at the end.
It's just that all of these lunatic theories seem to involve a mad evil conspiracy which invariably involves Jews.
I would say chose the objects of your inspiration more carefully than he did.
Or at least pack a reserve chute.
The thing is, there are ways of getting to a height where the earth’s curvature is apparent without taking the sort of risks this guy did.
I think that's missing the point. The guy wanted to build a steam powered rocket. And he did. And it almost worked (at least the going up part did).
Doing something badly is easy.
It’s just that all of these lunatic theories seem to involve a mad evil conspiracy which invariably involves Jews
That’s a leap! See your point though. I’m going to look at GoldFinger in a completely different light now...
Doing something badly is easy.
In fairness, he built a steam powered rocket that was capable of powering a human being safely up to several thousand feet (just not safely back down 😳) That’s actually pretty impressive; I don’t think I could do it. He just took a bit of a risk with his landing system which failed to pay off, big time. RIP Mad Mike, you entertainingly bonkers, if slightly misguided individual.
Well, he achieved more in terms of pursuing his dreams than I ever have.
And I think if most of the people taking the piss were honest they’d admit he achieved more than they have as well.
Fair play to him.
Agreed, the world needs such people.
Agreed, the world needs such people.
Why?
Why?
Just out of interest, what would you say your greatest achievement in your life so far has been?
I'm asking because I'm beginning to wonder if you're actually just really jealous.
Why?
Entertainment value?
Serious answer; if the people like the Wright bros and those like them had just thought “**** it, it’s a dodgy idea, I think I’ll just ride my horse instead” the world would be a much more dull place.
I bet Guy Martin is pissed because he didn't think of it first 😀
Why?
Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.
― George Bernard Shaw
He wasn't brave. He wasn't inspirational. He was a fool and an idiot. Jumping off a cliff flapping your arms in an attempt to achieve your dream of flight wouldn't be seen as anything other than ridiculous and idiotic. And this venture was no less idiotic or ridiculous.
I can just imagine his last radio transmission...."I can't understand why it's not working. It's not as if it's rocket science".
People like this shouldn't be praised in any way whatsoever. He should be up there for the biggest prize in the Darwin Awards. So let's not have any comparisons to the Wright Bros. There couldn't be a bigger difference between the likes of the Wright Bros and this chancer. To compare them is to insult and degrade the Wright Bros and their achievements. This joker deserves no such accolades. Shame he did what he did, a terrible waste of a life, but what he did was simply idiotic.
Inspiration is about those who have big dreams and approach them in a way to actually understand what's involved and have a chance in hell of achieving them. Which usually means researching what the hell it is you're trying to do and having a half decent and serious attempt at it, rather than one that didn't stand a cat in hells chance of success and would almost certainly end in death.
Well this is a classy thread.
He wasn’t brave. He wasn’t inspirational. He was a fool and an idiot. Jumping off a cliff flapping your arms in an attempt to achieve your dream of flight wouldn’t be seen as anything other than ridiculous and idiotic. And this venture was no less idiotic or ridiculous.
Just out of interest, do you feel the same way about base jumpers who die?
have a chance in hell of achieving them. Which usually means researching what the hell it is you’re trying to do and having a half decent and serious attempt at it
You know that this was his second rocket flight, and that the first one worked successfully, right? I’m not taken by the chaps motivations but I’ve got to admire his chutzpah. I’m glad that humans take risks. It’d be a rubbish world if they didn’t.
You’re right.
It’s still funny though.
Things can be both tragic and funny.
Just out of interest, what would you say your greatest achievement in your life so far has been?
I’m asking because I’m beginning to wonder if you’re actually just really jealous.
The whole point is that I (and 99.9999999999% of the population) am not likely to involve myself in any endeavor likely to kill me in pursuit of spurious science purely to try and make myself famous. If that's your thing, venerate away - I reiterate that I'm sorry he's dead, but it was a stupid, pointless stunt. When you strive for the same achievement, be sure to film it.
Serious answer; if the people like the Wright bros and those like them had just thought “**** it, it’s a dodgy idea, I think I’ll just ride my horse instead” the world would be a much more dull place.
Fair play, but I don't see it as a fair analogy - he wasn't testing new technology, he wasn't breaking boundaries, it was a publicity stunt gone wrong. If he wanted to prove that a steam-powered rocket could break 5k, or that the world is flat, he didn't need to be aboard.
reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.
― George Bernard Shaw
That was not an attempt at progress.
I have several projects I would like to pursue tomorrow. Instead I’m going to go and sit in a **** office doing a job I really can’t be arsed with anymore in the interests of paying the mortgage, watching my life slowly drip away day by day.
I could do with being a bit more Mike Hughes, I reckon.
Maybe it’s just me.
It's not just you. You have just described my life. Ive just arrived home from holiday where I read Into the Wild. If you have read it you will understand
Just out of interest, do you feel the same way about base jumpers who die?
Inaccurate comparison as they mostly don't, but you stay classy.
Ive just arrived home from holiday where I read Into the Wild. If you have read it you will understand
Love that book, McCandless is an inspirational figure for me. Go figure.
I have several projects I would like to pursue tomorrow. Instead I’m going to go and sit in a **** office doing a job I really can’t be arsed with anymore in the interests of paying the mortgage, watching my life slowly drip away day by day.
Well said.
Various bile from wobliscott..
Not well said
And I think if most of the people taking the piss were honest they’d admit he achieved more than they have as well.
Nope, he was a fruit loop and the only thing he achieved was proving the theory of gravity.
Mad Mike Hughes wikipedia page
His website is still live so i guess you could argue he has proved the afterlife
That was not an attempt at progress.
Well, that depends on your perspective. It’s easy to mock other people’s belief systems isn’t it? Fancy believing something that is clearly a fantasy and devoting your life to it. What a weird thing to do...
Wonder what went through his mind as he hit the earth.
Inaccurate comparison as they mostly don’t, but you stay classy.
It's not really though, is it. The survival rate for early wingsuit developers was close to 0% but they kept at it. Some call them ****ing idiots but most people I associate with find something to be admired in them.
Mountaineers die all the time but again, most people I know take inspiration from them.
And then, of course, we get onto mountain bikers. How long would you last on this forum if you started saying same things you've been saying about Mike Hughes but about Jordie Lunn instead?
Mike Hughes is a far more impressive individual than the vast majority who are slagging him off.
Wonder what went through his mind as he hit the earth.
Probably his teeth
The thing with the Wright brothers, is that they were doing something that had never been done before. What this chap was doing has been done before, to the point of normality, he’s just tried to do it in a needlessly dangerous fashion.
Want to go to 5000ft? Light aircraft.
Want to build a steam rocket? Build an unmanned one, with a camera if you want to see out.
I fail to see how this is any different to the guy who died of exposure having lashed a load of helium balloons to his garden chair. Budget maybe.
In fairness, he built a steam powered rocket that was capable of powering a human being safely up to several thousand feet
In fairness anyone who doesn't believe in gravity or is incapable of determining the earth isn't flat by themselves shouldn't be building rockets, steam or otherwise.
Apparently he wasn't a flat earth believer, but had said he was in order to generate publicity and raise money.
We used flat Earth as a PR stunt. Period," Darren Shuster told BuzzFeed News. "He was a true daredevil decades before the latest round of rocket missions. Flat Earth allowed us to get so much publicity that we kept going! I know he didn’t believe in flat Earth and it was a schtick.
So he was really a daredevil yet now forever remembered as a ‘flat-earther’?
RIP
As a keen follower of the flat earth movement, a few points:
- "Mad" Mike had made previous flights and survived. He did get badly injured on his previous one so he knew the risks.
- He wasn't expecting to get to space in that rocket. He was fully aware he could get higher in a plane or by walking up a a hill
- I'm 99% sure he wasn't a flat earther. He had tried to raise funds for his hobby rocket in the past and failed miserably. Then he announced he was a flat earther and the funds poured in. One of the surprising/sad things about flat earth is how much money you can make from gullible/vulnerable/mentally-ill people.
I don't particularly approve of his methods, but it's still a loss. The world needs Mikes.
Also from that Buzzfeed article "Mad" Mike is quoted as saying:
People ask me why I do stuff like this, and basically it's just to convince people they can do things extraordinary with their lives, and maybe it pushes people do things that they normally wouldn't do with their life, and maybe it'll inspire someone else.
Let's hope so. RIP Mike.
A man died. Sorry if I fail to see the 'funny' side.
Anyhoo, talking of steam powered madness... https://www.staffordclassicbikeshows.com/2018/09/22/steam-rocket-bike-to-appear-at-stafford/
A man died. Sorry if I fail to see the ‘funny’ side.
I'm guessing you don't find choking on a lamington amusing either.
I’m guessing you don’t find choking on a lamington amusing either.
It'd be funnier if it was a flat earther choking on a pancake
When we thought he was mad because he was a flat earther (bad mad) this was funny but now we know he was just plain insane (good mad) it's rather sad. First we thought we'd lost someone who the world was better off without and then we found out we'd lost someone the world needed.
Except those are just perceptions, funny how we all, me included, think we can make judgements about people with so little to go on.
It’d be funnier if it was a flat earther choking on a pancake
Excellent work.
Speaking of space, a big thing surrounding all this is your belief in a flat earth. What do you exactly believe?
I believe the earth is stationary but you have to realize I was an atheist for seven years. I just believed everything was a lie—all the wars, that there was no government, that corporations ran the world, that everything was a fraud—that everyone lied about everything. Then I found flat earth and I said, "Well, this makes sense" because they talk about the flat earth in the bible. Then you think well the airplanes can't fly around the globe; submarines can't go around the globe. The world photography record is not possible in a globe, and when they build bridges and roads, they don't worry about the curvature of the earth.There are just so many things!
This magical little thing called gravity does not exist—it's all electromagnetism, OK. No one knows what is in the center of this earth, no one! The deepest drill they've ever drilled is seven and a half miles and that took twelve years. They don't know, so they can't say it's gravity. All of it is just all bull crap. So that brought me back to believing in a creator—that's what flat earth did. That helped me out. When I started looking into it and researching it, I couldn't dismiss it, bottom line.
-Mad Mike Hughes 2018
From here- LINK
Yep, all very standard flat earth stuff that anyone could rhyme off after watching a few FE YouTube videos. Chuck in the biblical bit for extra donations.
I'm highly skeptical that he was a genuine flat earther.
Jumping off a cliff flapping your arms in an attempt to achieve your dream of flight wouldn’t be seen as anything other than ridiculous and idiotic.
They certainly said mocking things in the national press when my mates brother Don jumped off Hammersmith Bridge wearing a pair of homemade wings. "Four Flaps and the Birdman Flops" Was the headline in the Mirror.
Much nicer though than the words of his brother the following year on his camping trip. He unpacked his tent to find two large and suspiciously wing shaped pieces of fabric missing.
(And how cool does a steam powered rocket sound)
He also held the record for jumping a stretch limo.
I think the world needs more eccentrics like that.
This. Just this.
