Every single pursuit of any sort of knowledge relies on assumptions at some point. I am not sure why science should be held in any less regard. Indeed, science should earn more trust for all the ideas they throw out on bad evidence.
Wrong. Zeteticism starts with a blank slate and works from there. No assumptions are necessary. That's why it's the superior methodology.
Start with the assumption the earth is flat, do some measurements, find out you're wrong
OR start with the assumption the earth is round, do some measurements, find out you're right
OR ask "what shape is the earth?", do some measurements, find out it's round. Whichever way you look at it, if you do the measurements, you'll get the answer.
I won't understand unless you explain it. There are many motions of the planet that have only been adquately explained on a heliocentric view. The model fits -perfectly-.
It requires that one start with the assumption that the Earth isn't flat. I believe I've already covered this.
Again, you could start with a blank slate and still end up with the same answers. No assumptions necessary.
It is an astoundingly strong test of the theory. If they did not find the planet, or even if it were in the wrong place, the Theory of Gravitation would have been dealt a crippling blow..
I call BS on that. If that were the case, observations regarding the expansion of the universe and the cohesiveness of galaxies should have been a crippling blow as well. But hello dark matter and dark energy. When mainstream scientists see something that doesn't fit their long-cherished theories they figure out a way to pigeonhole things so they still fit.
The revision of theories has been covered elsewhere.
I'd like to add that RET has had centuries to build up its theories while modern FET has had less than two. I see no reason to assume that given a similar length of time FE zetetics will have the math figured out as accurately as RE scientists do.
Modern FET has had a lot less time to mature, yes, but the
idea that the earth is flat has been around far longer than the idea that it's round.