A novel estimator of earth's curvature (allowing for inference as well)

David R. Bell, Olivier Ledoit and Michael Wolf

No 431, ECON - Working Papers from Department of Economics - University of Zurich

Abstract: This paper estimates the curvature of the Earth, defined as one over its radius, without relying on physical measurements. The orthodox model states that the Earth is (nearly) spherical with a curvature of π/20'000 km. By contrast, the heterodox flat-Earth model stipulates a curvature of zero. Abstracting from the well-worn arguments for and against both models, rebuttals and counter-rebuttals ad infinitum, we propose a novel statistical methodology based on verifiable flight times along regularly scheduled commercial airline routes; this methodology allows for both estimating and making inference for Earth's curvature. In particular, a formal hypothesis test resolutely rejects the flat-Earth model, whereas it does not reject the orthodox spherical-Earth model.

Keywords: Flat earth; flight times; nonlinear least squares; trigonometry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C12 C13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-04, Revised 2023-09
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zur:econwp:431

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