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> We tell them "someone discovered the earth was round" even though thats arguable It's arguable that "someone discovered the earth was round" or that "the ear

> We tell them "someone discovered the earth was round" even though thats arguable It's arguable that "someone discovered the earth was round" or that "the earth is round"? Because I'm pretty sure that neither of those is actually arguable.

BuyMyBitcoins 5y ago
You absolutely can argue the Earth isn’t round. You won’t win the argument, but it’s an acceptable idea to challenge. Indeed, having to defend the position that the Earth is in fact round can help you gain understanding and have confidence in your conclusion. Not to belabor the point, but the idea that the Earth is flat is actually natural. It seems to be flat based on our senses. I think it’s a great teaching moment about how things are not as they seem.
h2odragon 5y ago
It's certainly arguable that a particular namable someone first found some way to communicate the concept that the earth is spherical to someone else... but it was many someones and the actual origins are lost to us. Its easy enough to say "the earth is a ball" because you've been told, but how can you prove it?
- zimpenfish 5y ago
  > It's certainly arguable that a particular namable someone first found some way to communicate the concept that the earth is spherical to someone else... If you mean "it's not likely everyone thought it was flat until someone said 'wait, it's round!'", yeah, sure, I agree. If you don't, what do you mean? > Its easy enough to say "the earth is a ball" because you've been told, but how can you prove it? https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018EGUGA..20.5417K/abstract https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018EGUGA..20.5417K/abstra... Same way Eratosthenes did in 3rd century BC to get his fairly impressively accurate estimate (39,060-40,320 km; real is 40,075km) for the Earth's circumference. Or do the laser shining through holes in boards on the salt flats. Or go to that huge long lake in Canada and note that you can't see the other side unless you raise your camera. Any of those will give you results that show it to be roughly spherical.

BuyMyBitcoins 5y ago

You absolutely can argue the Earth isn’t round. You won’t win the argument, but it’s an acceptable idea to challenge. Indeed, having to defend the position that the Earth is in fact round can help you gain understanding and have confidence in your conclusion. Not to belabor the point, but the idea that the Earth is flat is actually natural. It seems to be flat based on our senses. I think it’s a great teaching moment about how things are not as they seem.

h2odragon 5y ago

It's certainly arguable that a particular namable someone first found some way to communicate the concept that the earth is spherical to someone else... but it was many someones and the actual origins are lost to us. Its easy enough to say "the earth is a ball" because you've been told, but how can you prove it?

zimpenfish 5y ago
> It's certainly arguable that a particular namable someone first found some way to communicate the concept that the earth is spherical to someone else... If you mean "it's not likely everyone thought it was flat until someone said 'wait, it's round!'", yeah, sure, I agree. If you don't, what do you mean? > Its easy enough to say "the earth is a ball" because you've been told, but how can you prove it? https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018EGUGA..20.5417K/abstract https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018EGUGA..20.5417K/abstra... Same way Eratosthenes did in 3rd century BC to get his fairly impressively accurate estimate (39,060-40,320 km; real is 40,075km) for the Earth's circumference. Or do the laser shining through holes in boards on the salt flats. Or go to that huge long lake in Canada and note that you can't see the other side unless you raise your camera. Any of those will give you results that show it to be roughly spherical.