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+1 Myth of the flat Earth For some years I gave talks about this (Germany), it is astonishing how many people think that the idea of a spherical earth is a new

+1 Myth of the flat Earth For some years I gave talks about this (Germany), it is astonishing how many people think that the idea of a spherical earth is a new one. "The myth of the flat Earth, or the flat-Earth error, is a modern historical misconception that European scholars and educated people during the Middle Ages believed the Earth to be flat." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_flat_Earth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_flat_Earth

lo_zamoyski 3y ago
Many such ideas are the work of Enlightenment pamphleteers engaged in self-flattery and anti-Church propaganda (including the Protestant variety). By straw manning the Middle Ages (especially the Middle Ages, as many of these types had an ax to grind against the Church) or the ancients as superstitious imbeciles, it makes them look better, these true men of reason, in the eyes of the ignorant whom they sought to impress. And wacky ideas like fundmentalism are likewise very new historically, but eagerly seized upon by our modern sophists who, again, have an ax to grind.
- mandmandam 3y ago
  > self-flattery Lol. > By straw manning the Middle Ages (especially the Middle Ages, as many of these types had an ax to grind against the Church) or the ancients as superstitious imbeciles, it makes them look better, these true men of reason, in the eyes of the ignorant whom they sought to impress. This is a great point - and still relevant. Academia does this to this day, attacking researchers like Jared Diamond, pooh-poohing the work of (very) ancient mathematicians and astronomers, or diminishing the insanely impressive craftsmanship shown in, eg, 30-50 thousand year old flutes, carved with perfect pentatonic scales. Pentatonic scales! Well over 30,000 years ago! The implications of that are astounding.
dhosek 3y ago
I remember being taught in second grade that everyone believed the world was flat and only Columbus believed it was round. Turns out that not only everyone believed the world was round, but Columbus was wrong about the size of the earth and that was what led him to think traveling West would be a shorter route to Asia. Those who dismissed him were right about the size of the earth. Neither had any idea about the large landmass between Europe and Asia.

lo_zamoyski 3y ago

Many such ideas are the work of Enlightenment pamphleteers engaged in self-flattery and anti-Church propaganda (including the Protestant variety). By straw manning the Middle Ages (especially the Middle Ages, as many of these types had an ax to grind against the Church) or the ancients as superstitious imbeciles, it makes them look better, these true men of reason, in the eyes of the ignorant whom they sought to impress. And wacky ideas like fundmentalism are likewise very new historically, but eagerly seized upon by our modern sophists who, again, have an ax to grind.

mandmandam 3y ago
> self-flattery Lol. > By straw manning the Middle Ages (especially the Middle Ages, as many of these types had an ax to grind against the Church) or the ancients as superstitious imbeciles, it makes them look better, these true men of reason, in the eyes of the ignorant whom they sought to impress. This is a great point - and still relevant. Academia does this to this day, attacking researchers like Jared Diamond, pooh-poohing the work of (very) ancient mathematicians and astronomers, or diminishing the insanely impressive craftsmanship shown in, eg, 30-50 thousand year old flutes, carved with perfect pentatonic scales. Pentatonic scales! Well over 30,000 years ago! The implications of that are astounding.

dhosek 3y ago

I remember being taught in second grade that everyone believed the world was flat and only Columbus believed it was round. Turns out that not only everyone believed the world was round, but Columbus was wrong about the size of the earth and that was what led him to think traveling West would be a shorter route to Asia. Those who dismissed him were right about the size of the earth. Neither had any idea about the large landmass between Europe and Asia.