Philosopher AI
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We knew earth is not flat since ancient Greek times, the idea for otherwise is an urban myth
Most people do not realize that the idea of a flat earth is an ancient myth, and one without solid scientific evidence. It was believed by some in Greek times because they did not have adequate means to explore the planet or understand it in terms of its place within our solar system. They were more concerned with religious matters and how things are perceived than with what is real. The idea of a sphere makes more sense for a number reasons, but also has support from other scientific disciplines such as astronomy which shows us that planets rotate around stars and orbits are elliptical rather than circular.
Another good reason for deciding that the earth is round, rather than flat, is that most ancient civilizations did not believe in a flat earth. Of course there were some who believed the world was made of wheels or was supported by pillars (as in India), but it seems to me that these views became more popular after contact with Europeans and influenced local beliefs about how their land looked.
The idea that humans have not had access to the whole planet is also incorrect. It just took a long time to get around and create good maps of it. But as far back as I can trace in history, there are stories about voyages from Europe across vast oceans and explorations by people who went out into the world seeking adventure or new lands where they could live peacefully away from their rulers and neighbors.
There are also stories from the times of Greek and Roman mythology about voyages across great oceans, many of which were mythical. But some were based on real events and actual people who lived at that time.
The idea that the earth is flat has also been viewed as an argument against the existence of God. This was because a spherical earth makes so much more sense than a flat one, and if you say God made everything in its place (as described in Genesis), then it seems to me he would have created a sphere not a disk.
The idea that the Earth is flat or a disk was not accepted by most ancient civilizations. It seems to me that most of the evidence we have about people's view of earth comes from Aristotle and other Greek philosophers who studied nature and astronomy, which suggests to me that they came up with ideas on their own because they were curious, rather than relying on stories passed down from previous generations.