Alfred R. Wallace (of evolution theory fame) once took on what he thought was an easy bet (500 Lb was a lot of money then). John Hampden, a flat-earther, challenged anyone to prove to him that the earth was not flat. He won the bet easily (for nearly everybody present at the Bedford canal experiment) but didn't get the 500 Lb on a technicality.

The looser pestered Wallece for 15 years to come with letters, letters to Wallace's wife (defaming Wallace's character), letters to editors of scientific journals (defaming Wallace's research).

These people are called 'paradoxers' in science. What to everyone else looked like an easy and convincing proof, Hampden just commented as being no proof to him. Wallace later commented that he should never have tried to win that bet, for if someone doesn't acknowledge or share some basic understandings in ways of argumentation, you can argue til kingdom comes. You'll win nothing but a new set of questions.

Wolfgang