Why did people used to think the world was flat?

[HappyWoman34]

[goaded]

Because it almost is. Isaac Asimov wrote about it in the 1980s.

"My answer to him was, "John, when people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together."

The basic trouble, you see, is that people think that "right" and "wrong" are absolute; that everything that isn't perfectly and completely right is totally and equally wrong.

...

Another way of looking at it is to ask what is the "curvature" of Earth's surface. Over a considerable length, how much does the surface deviate (on the average) from perfect flatness. The flat-Earth theory would make it seem that the surface doesn't deviate from flatness at all, that its curvature is 0 to the mile.

Nowadays, of course, we are taught that the flat-Earth theory is wrong; that it is all wrong, terribly wrong, absolutely. But it isn't. The curvature of the Earth is nearly 0 per mile, so that although the flat-Earth theory is wrong, it happens to be nearly right. That's why the theory lasted so long."

https://hermiene.net/essays-trans/relativity_of_wrong.html

[ohsheeT]

To this day there are even scientists who State The world is flat and they have proof they say they say that all the water on this flat Earth is being held up by a mountain of ice it's just amazing. I still don't understand whatever happened to common Sense would be the better question

[Daniela1982]

Good question, because even the Bible hints at it's roundness.

In the Old Testament, Job 26:7 explains that the Earth is suspended in space, the obvious comparison being with the spherical sun and moon.

A literal translation of Job 26:10 is “He described a circle upon the face of the waters, until the day and night come to an end.” A spherical Earth is also described in Isaiah 40:21-22—“the circle of the earth.”

Note, that the Biblical Hebrew word for “circle” (חוג—chuwg) can also mean “round” or “sphere.”

[purplepoppy]

They never did. It's a myth based on a Victorian comedy but in reality we've known for thousands of year's.

[Anonymous]

I’m sure there’s a lot of good theories as to why some people think the earth is flat. I tend to wonder. If a helicopter hovered in place for 12 hours in one state, would it end up in another state since the earth supposedly rotates on its axis?

[AviatorTom]

That's a myth. The ancient Greeks knew that the Earth was sphere-shaped. Eratosthenes even calculated the Earth's circumference, within about 15% of what it actually is, 2400 years ago.

Today, there are many flat-earthers producing books and videos, to make money. I doubt that most of them really believe what they preach.

[exitseven]

It looks flat until you go it about 3 miles.

[jahaims]

The whole world wasn't explored and mapped by one group of people and the lack of science. New science was often punished by governments and churches.

[Anonymous]

Woman's Chest or earth I like it round not flat

[BLP11520]

Because they are stupid and have never been in a plane 😂😂

[RedInnocent68]

Some people still do… 🙄

[katiesmuff]

Why would they have ever thought otherwise!

[spartan55]

There are many that still do.

[Daniela1982]

@spartan55 Not anyone that has any brains.

[spartan55]

@daniela1982
Indeed. They hang out with sovereign citizens.

[boggboss]

They still do 🤣

[boggboss]

Realisticly tho it was a lack of understanding on how forces like gravity worked as if the world wasn't flat why don't we fall off it or the same way they thought the sun orbits the earth

[Anonymous]

Because it looked flat to the horizon.

[Anonymous]

Some still do unfortunately.

[SUMAIREBRAHIM]

Some people still do 😂😂😂

[Anonymous]

They saw your boobs and butt