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No one believed the Earth was flat (beyond present day "Flat Earthers"). This is a myth that has been perpetrated in education because of a mistake made by an early 20th century text book author. Many people were aware that the Earth was a sphere by the 3rd century B.C. Both Claudius Ptolemy and Marinus of Tyre (early geographers) proved that the Earth is a sphere. Working from data compiled centuries before, their calculations, while still inaccurate, where a great improvement on earlier work.
Christopher Columbus did not set out to prove that the world was round, but rather set out to find a faster trade route to Asia, discovering that the Earth was larger than anyone originally believed and discovering North America on behalf of European civilization. North America had been discovered by other populations before then, including the Vikings and of course the Jomon (ancestors of the Japanese), but Columbus' discovery was probably more relevant to modern civilization.
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∙ 13y ago
One reason is that, without advanced technology or widespread travel, early civilizations had limited ways to observe the Earth's shape. Additionally, some cultures' creation myths and cosmologies described a flat Earth, reinforcing this belief. It wasn't until scientific discoveries and explorations provided evidence to the contrary that the idea of a flat Earth began to be challenged.
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Did most of the educated people in Columbus and rsquo time thing the earth was flat?
No, most educated people in Columbus's time did not believe the Earth was flat. By the 15th century, ancient Greek scholars had already proven that the Earth was a sphere. Columbus's challenge was not convincing people the Earth was round, but rather estimating its size and the distance to Asia.
What is a flat drawing of the Earth called?
A flat drawing of the Earth is called a map. Maps are two-dimensional representations of the Earth's surface that provide various types of information such as political boundaries, topography, and transportation routes.
What is the approximate population of earth?
The current estimated population of the world is 7 billion people.
Which state would be the biggest if it were ironed out flat?
California would be the largest state if it were ironed out flat.
A flat part of the earth that is higher than the region around it?
This is known as a plateau. It is a flat and elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area. Plateaus are often formed by processes like erosion, volcanic activity, or tectonic forces.
What did people believe about the shape of the earth?
People believed that the earth was flat
What did English people believe in the 1600?
that the earth was flat
Who are flat earthers?
people who believed the earth is flat, not a sphere like most people believe.
What did people believe before Copernicus?
that the earth was the center of the universe and that the earth wAS FLAT
What did people believe in olden days about earth's shape?
They thought that the Earth was flat and not spherical.
Why does the flat earth society think the earth is flat?
The majority of the members of the Flat Earth Society do not believe the Earth is flat. They are members because it's a counter-culture group which some people find interesting.Those who think the Earth is flat are usually motivated by religious literalism.
What shape did renaissance people think the earth was?
Round. Most people by the time of Columbus did not believe the Earth was flat, despite what some history books will tell you.
Why was the earth flat long ago?
The Earth was never flat. The Flat Earth society believe they have proof that the Earth is flat but other no individuals or organisations have ever seriously considered that the Earth was not round since the ancient Greeks.
How many people still believe in a flat earth?
Probably not many, certainly less than those who believe it was created in 6 days.
How did people find out that earth was not flat?
People have known the Earth is not flat since ancient times.
Did most of the educated people in Columbus and rsquo time thing the earth was flat?
No, most educated people in Columbus's time did not believe the Earth was flat. By the 15th century, ancient Greek scholars had already proven that the Earth was a sphere. Columbus's challenge was not convincing people the Earth was round, but rather estimating its size and the distance to Asia.
Does anybody still believe that the earth is flat and its the centre of the solar system?
Yes a lot of young earth creationists believe this to be true. They also believe that the sun live in a tent at night.
