Are the people in Antarctica upside down?!
Disclaimer 1: Nothing here has been confirmed by a scientist !! (I’ll explain).
A little while ago, I had what I now deem one of the most random conversations- ever. I’m not sure if we had any actual work done in that almost-hour-long class, but at least something did come out of it. What we spoke about before then is an absolute blur, because we somehow ended up on this strangely puzzling question: ‘are the people in Antarctica upside down?!’ I really want to take credit for asking this *brilliant question because Antarctica is this beautifully enigmatic place and any curiosity, no matter how slight is always appreciated, and stimulates some sort of ‘deep’ thinking. BUT, I honestly don’t remember which of us asked this, why, or how we even got there. However, we ended up trying to analyze this for the remaining duration of the class.
Disclaimer 2: This will perplex and perhaps upset flat Earthers.
The answer seemed too obvious - yes and no - I mean, who can argue with gravity? or who wants to argue with gravity?! Yes, because they literally are at the bottom of the earth (his point); no, because gravity pulls them down (both agreed). But, we were in California at the time, so Antarctica technically was not upside down, not from us (my view). It’s like if I’m in Lagos, upside down would be the Pacific Ocean because the Earth is a sphere and it’s literally on the other side of the Earth from Lagos.
I was actually using an object to explain my hypothesis because I was so sure and I still am!! I mean, sure, Antarctica is upside down, but upside down from the perspective of the Arctic circle. We were still *arguing* as time passed and people were just wondering what we were on about, till someone actually asked and volunteered to listen to both sides. After which, the arbitrator figure concluded that we were both right because the answer to that question relied heavily on perspectives.
So, yes, perhaps my friend was *also* right. I admit I thought he was at the time. I believed we were both right, but somehow it escalated to a game of who is more right, or whose views can overwhelm the other until the other succumbs. I promise it was far less belligerent and a lot more hilarious than described!
The ‘clear image’ is one so diverse, that it means different things to different people. It really underscores the need for things to have meaning(s) or interpretations for one to be satisfied. The obsession we have with being right often blinds everything else. It’s like wanting something so much that nothing else seems to exist until that goal is attained. While this can be a good thing and something easily justified, it shows that there can be neglected truths to rationalize an idea.
As much as it stings, both of us might be wrong about Antarctica’s position on the globe (still hurt to type that by the way), there might actually be some scientist-backed answer behind the question asked. I guess opinions are more fun than facts - almost, at least for this case. Point it, I thought it was important to highlight the omnipresence of perspectives in our world and how they’re received. Agreement isn’t always weak, and disagreement isn’t always aggressive, the sharing of thoughts and opinions only expands what we know and never constricts it.
