Um, ignore the negative part. Well, take the absolute value. sqrt((tanX)^2) I agree that it's a pretty bizarre path for anything to take. But a more "natural" path such as a parabola or ellipse would not give an earth-like horizon. That's all I'm suggesting.
> I don't
> follow how this extends to light rays which are reflected from above
> ground level, either; the same path, displaced vertically?
Yes.
> > This has an interesting effect at very long distances. Looking down on the
> > world from an orbital altitude (whatever that means) the flat world would
> > appear spherical!
>
> Of course, if this were a) true, and b) known to anyone, they would
> not, if in possession of their Correct Brains, conclude "correctly"
> that light bends, but "erroneously" that Glorantha is a sphere, or a
> sphericly curved section of whatver sort, by virtue of the Duck Test.
True. If Glorantha has a horizon then any culture which could fly (and, one way or another, that's many cultures) could conclude that the world was not flat. The horizon effect is very noticable if you can fly. The idea that Gloranthans might be unaware of the horizon seems unlikely to me.
So if you accept that the horizon is there, then you either have to believe that the ground is curved (in which case why doesn't everything slide off the edges, kiddo? If you walk beyond the horizon then it should be all downhill to the edge of the world. But it doesn't feel downhill...); or you believe that it just *looks* curved (in which case what makes it look curved? Which leads to the bendy light theory.)
Without further observation/experimentation both theories are equally valid.
Bendy light is pretty bizarre; but is it really any worse than gravity?
___
CW.
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