If Earth wasn't proven to be round, would you think it is flat?
By thetis74
@thetis74 (1525)
September 4, 2011 2:25am CST
I was just lying down while thinking about the world and I thought of this question. That if the Earth wasn't proven to be round I really would have honestly, thought that it is flat. And since it is proven spherical, it still amazes me how everything on it is put together without having to fall down. The marvels of the solar system is always as amazing as gravity.
How about you? Would you also think that our world is flat if we haven't known that it is round? I'm just curious.
3 responses
@stk40m (1119)
• Koeln, Germany
4 Sep 11
well, no, for a number of reasons. If it was flat I'd wonder why:
- I can't see high mountains from far
- the Sun and the Moon are spherical and the Earth is not
- where all the water of the oceans would go if there were edges
- why the stars turn in circles around us and why the poles of the heaven move towards the horizon if you move away from the poles of Earth
- why ships, mountains and other objects 'emerge' out of the ocean when you move towards them or when they move towards you
Cheers
1 person likes this
@voracious (624)
• Philippines
4 Sep 11
You raised a good point. Earth is not perfectly shperical. The only make it spherical is the layer of atmosphere that it has.
1 person likes this
@stk40m (1119)
• Koeln, Germany
4 Sep 11
yeah I know. It's not perfectly spherical because in its liquid phase its centrifugal force (due to rotation) countered gravity at the equator while at the poles gravity acted alone on Earth's body. The atmosphere has about the same (or nearly the same shape, pressure varies from time to time) shape as Earth.
1 person likes this
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
7 Sep 11
You are all wrong the world is flat. The proof can be found in my little town. When people leave they never come back. (taken from a old country song).
Yes, you are right it is round. Sometimes I think I even see a curve if I am able to look over long distances but that might be because I have been told it is round. We do learn things and apply that to our everyday world. Maybe that should not stop us from asking questions though despite how dumb they sound. Besides when it comes to gravity we know the apple will fall on your head if you sit under the tree but does anyone really know why? I do not think so, not really. Yes a marvel.
