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How would You prove the World is Round?

Laika

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
The year is 2153. Technological civilisation has collapsed and all the knowledge of previous generations has been lost in the mists of time.

You are amongst the survivors, now trying to rebuild civilisation. You have heard a rumour that the "ancients" of previous centuries believed the world is round. So you decide to investigate.

Using your own observations based on your sense-perception, how would you set about proving (or disproving) this that world is round?

[I know the obvious answer is NASA photos from outer-space, but I want to see who can figure it out the old-fashioned way. :D]
 

Jedster

Well-Known Member
The year is 2153. Technological civilisation has collapsed and all the knowledge of previous generations has been lost in the mists of time.

You are amongst the survivors, now trying to rebuild civilisation. You have heard a rumour that the "ancients" of previous centuries believed the world is round. So you decide to investigate.

Using your own observations based on your sense-perception, how would you set about proving (or disproving) this that world is round?

[I know the obvious answer is NASA photos from outer-space, but I want to see who can figure it out the old-fashioned way. :D]

I would walk in a straight line for a few years to see if I ended up in the same place.
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
The year is 2153. Technological civilisation has collapsed and all the knowledge of previous generations has been lost in the mists of time.

You are amongst the survivors, now trying to rebuild civilisation. You have heard a rumour that the "ancients" of previous centuries believed the world is round. So you decide to investigate.

Using your own observations based on your sense-perception, how would you set about proving (or disproving) this that world is round?

[I know the obvious answer is NASA photos from outer-space, but I want to see who can figure it out the old-fashioned way. :D]
I was raised on an island. I could watch ships vanish behind the horizon (or our island vanish when on a boat). With eleven years I was able to calculate the diameter of the earth using those observations and Pythagoras' formula.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
The year is 2153. Technological civilisation has collapsed and all the knowledge of previous generations has been lost in the mists of time.

You are amongst the survivors, now trying to rebuild civilisation. You have heard a rumour that the "ancients" of previous centuries believed the world is round. So you decide to investigate.

Using your own observations based on your sense-perception, how would you set about proving (or disproving) this that world is round?

[I know the obvious answer is NASA photos from outer-space, but I want to see who can figure it out the old-fashioned way. :D]

I'm not sure why I would need to prove this to other survivors, as I think there would be greater priorities than this in a post-apocalyptic event, and I really don't see any point in proving this to other survivors if it's not relevant to survival.

However, for the sake of discussion, there are things I could demonstrate, such as why one can see farther from up higher by having them climb a tree or hill, or the fact that one cannot see land on the other side of a body of water such as Lake Erie on a clear day. I could have someone watch a lunar eclipse to see that the shadow cast on the moon is round.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
I would go to a large lake that had mountains on each side. Build a large fire on the top of one - distances such that it couldn't be seen at sea-level at the base of the other - and then climb this mountain until it could be seen. At night of course. One could probably then determine that either there was curvature involved (and this could be calculated) or that life was a mystery. :D

Mind you, the sun and moon might be giving large hints. :rolleyes:
 
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rosends

Well-Known Member
watch the shadow of the earth on the moon during an eclipse. Though, in truth, I would probably focus on other elements of survival.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
The year is 2153. Technological civilisation has collapsed and all the knowledge of previous generations has been lost in the mists of time.

You are amongst the survivors, now trying to rebuild civilisation. You have heard a rumour that the "ancients" of previous centuries believed the world is round. So you decide to investigate.

Using your own observations based on your sense-perception, how would you set about proving (or disproving) this that world is round?

[I know the obvious answer is NASA photos from outer-space, but I want to see who can figure it out the old-fashioned way. :D]


But, but but... The earth is not round. It's square, cubic, triangular, purple shaped, an oblate spheroid.

But to check, the horizon is not far away, walk in any direction and see what you left behind disapear over the curve of the earth.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
The year is 2153. Technological civilisation has collapsed and all the knowledge of previous generations has been lost in the mists of time.

You are amongst the survivors, now trying to rebuild civilisation. You have heard a rumour that the "ancients" of previous centuries believed the world is round. So you decide to investigate.

Using your own observations based on your sense-perception, how would you set about proving (or disproving) this that world is round?

[I know the obvious answer is NASA photos from outer-space, but I want to see who can figure it out the old-fashioned way. :D]
The Romans did it by sending out two "runners", one to the distant north, the other to the distant south, and having them record the angle of the sun at the same time on the same day. From that they could not only surmise that the Earth was a sphere, but they were even able to calculate a reasonable approximation of the size of the sphere. (Or was it the ancient Greeks, I'm not sure. I think it was the Romans, though.)
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
The year is 2153. Technological civilisation has collapsed and all the knowledge of previous generations has been lost in the mists of time.

You are amongst the survivors, now trying to rebuild civilisation. You have heard a rumour that the "ancients" of previous centuries believed the world is round. So you decide to investigate.

Using your own observations based on your sense-perception, how would you set about proving (or disproving) this that world is round?

[I know the obvious answer is NASA photos from outer-space, but I want to see who can figure it out the old-fashioned way. :D]

I've done a simple experiment proving the Earth's nearly spherical shape and size.

I've calculated the Earth's circumference by observing and measuring the North Star's angle of view from my horizon with a clinometer at 46 degrees latitude and then comparing Polaris' angle of view from my horizon at 43 degrees latitude. Using an odometer, I measured the 200 miles of distance I traveled north to south on I-29 between 46 and 43 degrees latitude.
I then took the 200 miles distance difference and divided it by the 3 degrees latitude difference and calculated 66.666 miles per 1 degree of distance. Then I multiplied 66.666 miles * 360 to calculate the Earth's circumference at 24,000 miles.
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
I'm not sure why I would need to prove this to other survivors, as I think there would be greater priorities than this in a post-apocalyptic event, and I really don't see any point in proving this to other survivors if it's not relevant to survival.

However, for the sake of discussion, there are things I could demonstrate, such as why one can see farther from up higher by having them climb a tree or hill, or the fact that one cannot see land on the other side of a body of water such as Lake Erie on a clear day. I could have someone watch a lunar eclipse to see that the shadow cast on the moon is round.

Good point! How is anybody going to be able to survive without internet, let alone be able to communicate without being able to text on smartphones?
 

Laika

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
In the context of the hypothetical story: the world is only just getting back on its feet. Why do they need to know the world is round? :)

If you are trying to navigate, whether its by boat or plane, you're going to need to know the world is round to know where to go.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
How else would you prove you’re better than everyone else other than to prove others wrong. ;)
That's an excellent question, thus proving you're smarter than me, as I could have never dreamed of such a thoughtful response. Congratulations!
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
The Romans did it by sending out two "runners", one to the distant north, the other to the distant south, and having them record the angle of the sun at the same time on the same day. From that they could not only surmise that the Earth was a sphere, but they were even able to calculate a reasonable approximation of the size of the sphere. (Or was it the ancient Greeks, I'm not sure. I think it was the Romans, though.)


It was Eratosthenes (a Greek) working in Egypt under Roman control.
 
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