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Humans have demonstrably known the world is round since at least ancient Greece. Columbus claimed it was radically smaller in diameter than previous calculatio
by mrguyorama 1y ago
Humans have demonstrably known the world is round since at least ancient Greece.
Columbus claimed it was radically smaller in diameter than previous calculations, and was begging for funding to go around the other side of the world to get a good trade route to India and China for trade goods. He was following some bad math, and adding his own worse math to the mix.
People were sure he was going to die, because they did not bring enough provisions to actually go around the world.
- pfdietz 1y agoAmusingly, Spain famously did set up trade to China through the New World. Silver was mined in South America and taken to China (or to the Philippines), traded for silk and other luxury goods, which were then taken back across the Pacific, over land to the Atlantic, and then on to Europe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_galleon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_galleon