Why I Started Thinking About Flat Earth: Theory, Evidence, and Questions

Hello, guys.

Recently, I caught myself thinking that I often come across discussions about whether the Earth is round or flat. I used to not pay attention to this and always took the official version as a given. But over time, I started noticing things that are not quite clear to me.

I want to say right away: I do not assert that the Earth is flat and I am not trying to convince anyone. I am not a conspiracy theorist or an expert. I just decided to understand why the theory of a flat Earth exists, what people present as evidence for a flat Earth, and why there are so many disputes around this topic.

Maybe my questions can be easily explained by physics. If so, it would be interesting to read the answers.

Water is always level. Why?

This is probably the first thing that made me think.

When you look at a lake, the sea, or a large reservoir, the water looks absolutely level. If the Earth is indeed a giant sphere, I don't quite understand why the water looks so perfectly horizontal.

I understand that I might be told about gravity, but I'm still curious to hear a simple explanation without complicated formulas.

Horizon. Why does it remain flat?

Another point.

No matter if you're climbing a high mountain, flying in an airplane, or launching a drone—the horizon still appears to be a flat line. Theoretically, if the Earth is spherical, shouldn't the curvature become more noticeable as height increases?

Or is the human eye simply unable to see this curvature?

Why don't we feel the Earth's movement?

As far as I understand, the Earth rotates at a speed of about 1600 km/h and is also flying around the Sun at a much greater speed.

But why do we not feel this at all?

For example, if a helicopter hovers in the air, why doesn't the Earth "move away" underneath it? Why do clouds move calmly in different directions? Perhaps there is a simple explanation for this that I don't understand yet.

Antarctica and the flat Earth theory

Probably one of the most discussed questions.

Why are there so many restrictions and international agreements around Antarctica? Why is it so hard for an ordinary person to just go there and see everything with their own eyes?

I have seen that proponents of the flat Earth theory often talk about an ice wall around the world. I don't know if this is true or not, but I'm interested to know if anyone has been there personally or has encountered similar expeditions.

The Sun and the Moon

Sometimes the sunlight passing through the clouds spreads out as if the Sun is very close, almost like a spotlight.

Moreover, the Moon sometimes looks quite strange and does not always give the impression of being a typical reflector of sunlight.

Perhaps there is also a scientific explanation for this, but I would like to understand it in simple terms.

Ships and the horizon

It is often said that ships disappear over the horizon precisely because of the Earth's curvature.

However, there are many videos where, using good zoom or a powerful binocular, the object becomes visible again.

So, is this a matter of perspective, optical features, or still curvature? I would be interested to hear the opinions of people who really understand this.

I want to understand, not argue

I will repeat once again.

I do not claim that the flat Earth theory is true. I just want to understand why there are so many questions and why some people find evidence for a flat Earth convincing, while others completely refute them.

If you are sure that the Earth is spherical—please explain the strongest arguments against the questions I listed above.

If you have ever wondered "Is the Earth round or flat?", it would also be interesting to read your opinion.

Let's keep it civil, without insults, personal attacks, or "learn physics". Just a calm discussion. I think such conversations are the most interesting.