Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA02757 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 9 Feb 2002 16:14:21 GMT X-Originating-IP: [199.183.183.133] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Apoptosis Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2002 08:08:34 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F75eR4UIS42NXH00002422@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 09 Feb 2002 16:08:34.0601 (UTC) FILETIME=[06812190:01C1B184] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>
>I read somewhere that the flat earth was one of those urban myths. Ptolemy
>and other thinkers of the time were aware the earth was round. Some Greek
>did an experiment using equal length sticks, and measured the shadow of
>each
>at the same time of day, on the same day, but at different lattitudes and
>got the result that shadows nearer the equator were shorter. As you would
>in
>a world that was round. Wasn’t the flat earth a metaphor for the Churches
>supresion of knowledge during the dark ages?
>
>Regards
>
>Steve
>
I think the Greeks were just ahead of their time. Memes in those days
spread at a much slower pace and tended to stay with the language group in
which they developed. Then the Roman Empire took over the Catholic church
and banned ideas that didn't agree with their world view. It wasn't until
the Ranaisance that such ideas crept back into the European world view of
more than just a few people. The flat world metaphor was just a result of
the way the way the world looks to us when we walk on it. It takes some
convincing to see it as a globe.
Grant
_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Feb 09 2002 - 16:26:36 GMT