Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard
Quote by Steve Perry: "People are dumb, panicky, dangerous ...
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/774...nd-you-know-it
"People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and 15 minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow.". ― Steve Perry, Men In Black |
There's a glaring inaccuracy in this line, though: five hundred years ago, no one (in Western Europe) thought the Earth was flat. We've known the Earth is spherical since Eratosthenes accurately measured its circumference in the third century BCE. Columbus couldn't get funding for his voyage because he insisted that the Earth was smaller than it is--the only way a Western route to Asia would be feasible--and got laughed off by every potential investor except the Spanish royals.