Myths

“Science and Truth” in the October 2000  MAAM is a very well written article that leaves the reader with nice warm-fuzzys.  However, I’m surprised that Mensans, many of whom are trivia nuts, would miss the whopper in this article.  In an article entitled “Science and Truth,” no less!

“. . . it was Aristotle who proved the world is round, pointing out during an eclipse that the earth casts a spherical shadow on the moon.  Plato popularized the concept.  By Columbus’s day it was taken for granted.  The story giving Columbus credit for the discovery did not even surface until after he had died.”

Richard Shenkman, Legends, Lies & Cherished Myths of American History (1989),  pp. 1.

ISBN 0-06-097261-0

The book goes on:  Columbus was arguing that the ocean was not nearly as wide as predicted by estimates of the earth’s circumference, and therefore a ship could carry enough food to cross.  He was wrong, and if not for the existence of North America he would have starved at sea less than 1/3 of the way to India.

And Queen Isabella offered to sell her jewels.  It didn’t even prove necessary.

To be fair, these myths were reinforced by an authority no less than the Encyclopædia Britannica.