One Round:

• Interlocutor A presents
  • Evidence supporting their position or disproving the other’s position
  • Uninterrupted
  • Set time, suggested 3-5 minutes
• Interlocutor B refutes
  • Refutation using evidence factually disproving or invalidating the claims
  • Uninterrupted
  • Set time, suggested 3-5 minutes
• Open Discussion
  • Both parties have open discussion on the topic presented
  • Set time, suggested 5-20 minutes
• Scoring
  • Moderator is in charge of the scoring
  • 1 point to the interlocuter with best logic and evidence
  • 0 points for a stalemate
  • Optionally voted on by an audience poll or other methods
  • Considerations:
    • Denial is not a refutation
    • “You didn’t do it yourself” is not a refutation
    • If the methodology is in question, provide refutation of the methodology
    • Non-evidential claims carry very little weight, particularly unconventional claims
    • Evidence with varied and broader sources are preferred
    • Well known information is acceptable without evidence, refutation of well known information requires strong supporting evidence
    • Mathematical refutation requires math
    • Quantitative evidence is preferred to qualitative evidence
    • “We should see” is a quantitative claim, provide the quantitative expectations, compare to observations

Presenters alternate each round.  The number of rounds and time frames are agreed ahead of time.

Moderator sums the points and declares the winner.  The loser is forever relegated to swim the River Styx.