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From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac)
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.physics
Subject: Re: The "Perpetual Motion" Machine
Message-ID: <4@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Mar-85 12:20:05 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.4
Posted: Wed Mar 27 12:20:05 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Mar-85 01:40:41 EST
References: <493@cadovax.UUCP> <7123@watdaisy.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
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Xref: watmath net.misc:7695 net.physics:2344

> > Knee-jerk skeptics who dismiss ideas that don't happen to correspond to
> > their own beliefs would probably have laughed at ... Columbus for suggesting
> > that the earth wasn't flat.
> 
> Speaking about myths being passed around as truth ....
> 
>    Norman Diamond

As Norman implies, the above is inaccurate.  *Educated* people in Columbus's
time (there weren't that many) knew that the Earth was a sphere.  Eratosthenes
showed that almost 2000 years before.  In fact, Queen Isabella's advisors 
had a pretty good idea of how large the Earth was.  As a result, they were
sure Columbus would die of thirst and starvation before reaching Asia.
If America had not popped up in his path that's just what would have happened.
Sometimes it can be more important to try something crazy than to know why it's
crazy.

"Don't argue with a fool.      Ethan Vishniac
 Borrow his money."            {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan

*Anyone who wants to claim these opinions is welcome to them.*