How to Test a Flat-Earth Claim

A claim becomes useful when it can be tested. The goal is not to win a shouting match but to turn a vague assertion into a prediction that can succeed or fail.

Step 1: State the Claim Clearly

“The horizon always rises to eye level” is testable. “They are hiding the truth” is not, unless it comes with specific evidence.

Step 2: Identify the Prediction

Ask what should happen before looking. If a model can explain every possible result afterward, it is not doing scientific work.

Step 3: Control the Variables

For visual claims, record distance, height, lens, date/time, weather, temperature gradient and location. For astronomy claims, record latitude, direction, time and date.

Step 4: Compare Models

The question is not “Can I invent a story?” The question is which model predicts the observation more simply, consistently and quantitatively.

Step 5: Keep the Result

Good experiments should be logged, even when they do not support your expectation. Reality is allowed to be inconvenient.