Bedford Level experiment

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The Bedford Level experiment was a series of attempts, beginning in the late 19th century, to show the curvature of the Earth's surface. First conducted by Flat-Earther Samuel Birley Rowbotham, observations along a long straight stretch of drainage canal in the English county of Norfolk seemed to confirm that the Earth is flat. Later measurements by Alfred Russel Wallace, accounting for optic refraction, showed the Earth to be curved. Wallace's results were disputed by one of Rowbotham's supporters, one John Hampden. Hundreds of pounds were wagered and disputed. Death threats, libel cases, and Hampden's incarceration ensued.

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