Earth in Culture - Physical Form

Physical Form

In the ancient past there were varying levels of belief in a flat Earth, with the Mesopotamian culture portraying the world as a flat disk afloat in an ocean. The spherical form of the Earth was suggested by early Greek philosophers; a belief espoused by Pythagoras. By the Middle Ages—as evidenced by thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas—European belief in a spherical Earth was widespread. Prior to circumnavigation of the planet and the introduction of space flight, belief in a spherical Earth was based on observations of the secondary effects of the Earth's shape and parallels drawn with the shape of other planets.

Read more about this topic:  Earth In Culture

Famous quotes containing the words physical and/or form:

    A woman may very well form a friendship with a man, but for this to endure, it must be assisted by a little physical antipathy.
    Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)

    After all, crime is only a lefthanded form of human endeavor.
    John Huston (1906–1987)