a catalogue of documented anomalies on planet Earth // maintained by the Aliens
> RECORD OBS-0013 | status: DEBUNKED | filed 2026-07-31
Home > Space > Flat Earth Theory

Flat Earth Theory

RecordOBS-0013
CategorySpace/Moon Landing
StatusDEBUNKED
SummaryThe Flat Earth theory posits that the Earth is a flat, disc-shaped plane rather than a sphere, often centered at the North Pole with an ice wall at the edge. Proponents claim that evidence for a spherical Earth is fabricated or misinterpreted, and that space agencies like NASA deceive the public. The theory has been thoroughly debunked by centuries of scientific observation and direct evidence from space.
OriginThe modern flat Earth movement resurfaced in the 1800s as a backlash to scientific progress, particularly among biblical literalists. Samuel Rowbotham (1816-1884) popularized the idea, and the International Flat Earth Research Society was founded in 1956. The movement gained renewed traction in the early 2000s with the rise of the internet and social media.
Claimed
  • The Earth is a flat disc, not a sphere.
  • Antarctica is an ice wall at the edge of the disc, not a continent.
  • NASA and other space agencies lie about the shape of the Earth and space exploration.
  • Photographs of Earth from space are fabricated.
  • The Bible supports a flat Earth.
  • Gravity is a hoax; the disc accelerates upward.
Evidence / consensusOverwhelming scientific evidence, including direct observation from space, satellite imagery, and centuries of navigation and astronomy, confirms the Earth is an oblate spheroid. The flat Earth theory is contradicted by basic physics, geography, and empirical data.
> OBSERVER NOTE:
Flat Earth is a textbook case of a debunked claim persisting through motivated reasoning and distrust of institutions. The evidence against it is so overwhelming that its survival is a sociological curiosity more than a scientific one.

Sources

  1. Fighting flat-Earth theory - Physics World
  2. The Public Discussion on Flat Earth Movement: An Analysis Based on the Esperantist‑Epideictic Discourse - PMC
  3. How Do We Know the Earth Isn't Flat? We Asked a NASA Expert - YouTube
  4. Journal Articles - The Flat Earth and its Advocates: A List of References - Research Guides at Library of Congress

Sources are external and provided for verification. Listing does not imply the Observer endorses their claims.