Zetetic astronomy: Earth not a globe!

In this mid‑Victorian treatise the author sets out a systematic investigation of the Earth’s true form, insisting that it can be determined through direct observation and simple experiments rather than abstract theory. Drawing on the Greek notion of “zetetic”—to seek or examine—the work assembles a series of measurements, logical deductions, and practical tests aimed at proving the planet is a stationary plane. The opening pages lay out the conviction that a careful, fact‑based approach will reveal a picture of the world that contradicts the widely accepted globe model.

The author also offers a pointed critique of the dominant scientific tradition, citing figures such as Newton and Copernicus to argue that many astronomical hypotheses are merely convenient fictions. By rejecting the idea of axial tilt, orbital motion, and a spherical Earth, the writer proposes a radical alternative in which the material world is flat and unmoving. The prose blends philosophical reflection with detailed experimental description, giving listeners a glimpse into a nineteenth‑century quest to reshape our understanding of the heavens.