The Globe: How the Earth Became Round

The Globe is a documentary that explores the history of humanity's quest to discover the shape of the world, from ancient Greece to China. It shows how the realization that the Earth is a sphere deserves to be considered the first great scientific achievement.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 01 July 2023
Publisher: Reaktion Books

The Globe is a captivating tale that delves into humanity's relentless pursuit to unravel the enigmatic structure of our world. In ancient Greece, wise philosophers embarked on a profound quest to determine the true shape of Earth, and their intellectual endeavors culminated in the fourth century BCE when they unveiled the Earth's spherical form. This groundbreaking discovery was then disseminated to various regions, including India, where it flourished and eventually reached the bustling cities of Baghdad and Central Asia.

During the early medieval era, Christians engaged in spirited debates regarding the shape of the Earth. However, centuries before the era of Columbus, the Catholic Church had already embraced the notion that the Earth was, in fact, round and not flat. Nevertheless, it was not until the seventeenth century that Jesuit missionaries successfully persuaded the Chinese to abandon their long-held belief in a square-earth cosmology. This remarkable achievement stands as a testament to the power of intellectual inquiry and the capacity of human understanding to transcend long-established beliefs.

The Globe presents a captivating challenge to our understanding of the history of ideas. It underscores the significance of recognizing the Earth's spherical nature as the inaugural great scientific triumph. This realization not only expands our horizons of knowledge but also sheds light on the profound interconnectedness of our planet and the vastness of the universe. Through its narrative, The Globe invites us to contemplate the profound implications of our newfound knowledge and to embrace a more holistic perspective on the world we inhabit.

Weight: 606g
Dimension: 145 x 224 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789147582