Did scientists teach the earth was flat?

[AV1611VET]

Simple question: Did scientists used to teach the earth was flat?

 

[Washington]

From Wikipedia:

"Recent scholarship has argued that "with extraordinary [sic] few exceptions no educated person in the history of Western Civilization from the third century B.C. onward believed that the earth was flat" and that the prevailing view was of a spherical earth."
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And because scientists are educated persons they wouldn't have taught such a thing, unless, that is, the church coerced them into doing so..

 

[eMesreveR]

Simple question: Did scientists used to teach the earth was flat?

Let me venture a guess as to your point:

"Scientists were wrong in the past!"

Scientists are wrong all the time. Rutherford's plum pudding model of the atom? Wrong. The view that the Universe would eventually collapse on itself? Wrong. The idea that evolution occurs primarily through gradual, incremental changes, as Darwin proposed it? Kinda off. (If I remember correctly, the dominant view is punctuated equilibrium today).

Science isn't always right. It's not intended to be always right. It's a protocol for accumulating data and matching our theories to the data. It's a work in progress. It is dynamic. The dominant theories of the time period, ideally, reflect the best explanations we have for the data we've observed.

Faith, on the other hand, is static. Faith can never be questioned. Those who question faith are simply wrong. God is taken on faith. The sanctity of human life is taken on faith. Racism is taken on faith. The fairness of slavery was taken on faith.

And that's why faith, with regards to factual claims that we can verify, is dysfunctional. It never changes and never adapts, and simply dies when the time comes.

 

[birdan]

Let me venture a guess as to your point:

"Scientists were wrong in the past!"

Scientists are wrong all the time. Rutherford's plum pudding model of the atom? Wrong. The view that the Universe would eventually collapse on itself? Wrong. The idea that evolution occurs primarily through gradual, incremental changes, as Darwin proposed it? Kinda off. (If I remember correctly, the dominant view is punctuated equilibrium today).

Science isn't always right. It's not intended to be always right. It's a protocol for accumulating data and matching our theories to the data. It's a work in progress. It is dynamic. The dominant theories of the time period, ideally, reflect the best explanations we have for the data we've observed.

Faith, on the other hand, is static. Faith can never be questioned. Those who question faith are simply wrong. God is taken on faith. The sanctity of human life is taken on faith. Racism is taken on faith. The fairness of slavery was taken on faith.

And that's why faith, with regards to factual claims that we can verify, is dysfunctional. It never changes and never adapts, and simply dies when the time comes.

There's one additional important point to add to the above. Seldom is modern science flat out wrong. New theories replace old theories not because they show the old theories to be 'wrong', but because the new theories refine the old theories. For example, the 'plum pudding' model of atomic theory was replaced by the 'solar system' model, which incorporated the earlier model and expanded on it. The quantum mechanics model then replaced the solar system model and expanded on that model. Special and general relativity did not negate Newtonian physics, but rather expanded upon it. Genetic networks seems to be in the process of replacing Mendelian genetics. And on and on.

For the most part, when science "changes its mind", it is due to refinement of ideas, and not some sort of wild zig-zagging between wildly disparate thoughts, which a lot of young earth creationists seem to think. An important point, imho.

 

[paug]

Ditto the top two posts. Remember, if science were never wrong, it wouldn't be science - it would be faith.

 

[KCDAD]

"Did scientists used to teach"?

What the? Did farmers in the past teach that fish heads sacrificed to the gods in your fields helped corn grow? Were they scientists? Did Greeks teach that Apollo drove the sun around in his chariot? Were they scientists?

Which scientists? Who was a scientist? What does it mean to be a scientist?

You have no idea what you are writing about.

 

[AV1611VET]

Remember, if science were never wrong, it wouldn't be science - it would be faith.

Hmmm --- I'll have to think on this one --- this ranks up there with my:

• Miracles are an insult to raw intelligence.
• Evolution is nothing more than virtual reality.

 

[AV1611VET]

What does it mean to be a scientist?

You have no idea what you are writing about.

That's right --- I don't --- that's why I phrased my OP as a question.

I said this before, and I'll say it again, I have no idea what a scientist is, other than a gift from God.

 

[KCDAD]

Hmmm --- I'll have to think on this one --- this ranks up there with my:

• Miracles are an insult to raw intelligence.
• Evolution is nothing more than virtual reality.

Science doesn't claim to be right or wrong... that is religion's claim. Science claims to describe, explain, predict and influence the world based on currents standards of knowledge and reason.

 

[KCDAD]

That's right --- I don't --- that's why I phrased my OP as a question.

I said this before, and I'll say it again, I have no idea what a scientist is, other than a gift from God.

a gift from God? How so?

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Simple question: Did scientists used to teach the earth was flat?

No. The Earth's spherical nature has been known for millennia. It was one of the first products of scientific inquiry.

 

[AV1611VET]

a gift from God? How so?

Everyone has a purpose, or calling, and the calling of a scientist is to do what they do --- observe and report.

 

[KCDAD]

Everyone has a purpose, or calling, and the calling of a scientist is to do what they do --- observe and report.

And what is the purpose or calling of a rapist or murder? What is their calling? How about a door to door vacuum salesman, drug dealer or a greeter at Walmart... what is the purpose of the garbage collector... what is his "gift"?

 

[AV1611VET]

And what is the purpose or calling of a rapist or murder?

Certainly not to rape or murder.

What is their calling?

I don't know --- if they don't follow their calling, how can one tell?

How about a door to door vacuum salesman, drug dealer or a greeter at Walmart... what is the purpose of the garbage collector... what is his "gift"?

Beats me.

 

[KCDAD]

Certainly not to rape or murder.I don't know --- if they don't follow their calling, how can one tell?Beats me.

Then what makes you think that anyone has a "calling" whether they be scientists or doctors or televangelists?

 

[AV1611VET]

.
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Then what makes you think that anyone has a "calling" whether they be scientists or doctors or televangelists?

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

 

[Split Rock]

Simple question: Did scientists used to teach the earth was flat?

NO.

I have one for you. Did Theologians used to teach the earth was flat?

 

[paug]

Nope, scientists didn't, but the Bible sure does.

 

[AV1611VET]

I have one for you. Did Theologians used to teach the earth was flat?

Yes.

 

[Naraoia]

The idea that evolution occurs primarily through gradual, incremental changes, as Darwin proposed it? Kinda off. (If I remember correctly, the dominant view is punctuated equilibrium today).

Punctuated equilibrium doesn't mean that change is not gradual. It only means that there are short periods when the gradual steps occur in fast succession (for example, when a small founder population adapts to a new habitat).