Did people tend to think that the earth was flat before Isaac Newton's time? In other words, because people weren't aware of gravity, they thought the world was flat?
Or, what were the possible reasons why people thought the world was flat? Please elaborate.
2006-08-23 07:36:27 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
The curvature is not obvious from just looking, unless you look carefully at the right thing. On land, the horizon is too close (and usually too irregular) for the curvature to be noticeable. In the air, it can be seen if you are high enough, but commercial aircraft don't fly that high. On sea, or at the seashore, it is barely noticeable if you watch a ship sailing out of sight -- it appears to sink as it gets more distant. However, one of the ancient Greeks (Aristarchus, I think) figured it out by noticing the shape of the earth's shadow on the moon during a lunar eclipse. Which was quite a coup, as it required figuring out that the darkening of the moon was caused by the earth's shadow.
2006-08-23 07:47:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
As someone reported there remains a flat earth society so as that continues to be a conception through some human beings and basically as sturdy a conception as believing some mythical being is searching down and interpreting your behaviour. also no longer absolutely everyone believed the earth became flat. everybody in and environment the position they could see the horizon inclusive of a sailor can see the the earth is round through the way that issues inclusive of ships seem over the horizon. It basically required slightly bit theory and persons were as sensible 1000 or so years in the past as they're at present.
2016-11-27 00:59:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the Ancient days,people didn't have the technique to reach for the outer world,like nowadays.considering the fact the earth we walk on is flat,and there are no round shaped skies,therefore Ancient people thought that the shape of the earth they see with they bare eyes,is the world that is right now,but ofcourse they America! have reached to the moon(Actually The Soviet Union),and really saw what the earth looks like,no wonder that they'll record this discovery for themselves as the first humans who drew earth,but that's not true,back in the Islamic Kingdom days,the Muslim Scientists are the one's who discovered how earth truley looked like,and not only that they've discovered Earth,but the whole Solar System,that the Ameicans and Russians claim to have discovered and that is all recorded in the history of the Islamic worlds,and you may do some research about that,and learn what are the origins of the Space Science that Ameirca now leads in.
Hope you benifit from that Answer and if it's a bit short I know.but I'd like to provide more reference if you wanted,just contact!
SCIENCE IS REVOLTUTION!
2006-08-23 07:52:39 · answer #3 · answered by Ninoshtein 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply because that's what they were told. People (by and large ) are sheep and tend to follow whatever their authority figures tell them is true. At that time high science was dictated by the church as they were one of the only strata beside the wealthy, to own books.
Remember how everyone (mostly) believed in Dubbya's WMDs?
His homies were the only guys to have and interpret the data, just like the church and it's historically hostile attitude toward science.
They allowed the Jesuits to be scientist and intellectuals that is , until they started contradicting church dogma.
By the way, I'm not so sure that gravity is in any way contingent upon the shape of the world, one is geometry and the other physics.
2006-08-23 08:00:43 · answer #4 · answered by derstrudelmonkey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pythagoras noted the world was round, so did Aristotle long, long ago.
European people during the middle ages generally thought the world was flat because they were horribly uneducated.
To answer your other questions, People probably thought the world was flat because it looks that way. And gravity could exist on a flat-earth just he same as it does on a round one. Heck, we still don't understand much about gravity.... just basics about how it works
2006-08-23 07:49:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Back in the time when they thought the world was flat they did not have much of a way to explore,, so then they figured that if they ventured to far they would fall off the edge,,
2006-08-23 07:41:53 · answer #6 · answered by SPACEGUY 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They would look out at the ocean and the horizon looked as though it had an edge in which they could fall off of. They were afraid to take the ships out, not knowing what was to come. If you ever get to the beach, look out at the horizon and there is a line where it looks like the water ends.
2006-08-23 07:48:40 · answer #7 · answered by ginger sue 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they probably thought it was flat because when they looked out across the ocean, it looked flat, not round. They thought you could sail off the edge of the earth (thats probably what they thought the horizon was)
2006-08-23 07:40:29 · answer #8 · answered by b b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It looks flat, some people believe it still is. People believe what they see...
Except when it comes to Islam, "the religion of hate and suicide".
2006-08-23 07:41:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they did not know different just as we just made our solar system from 9-12 planets. WHY because as time passes we realize and learn more everyday
2006-08-23 07:38:51 · answer #10 · answered by lttlbt22 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋