Contrary to popular belief fostered in countless school classrooms the world over, Christopher Columbus did not discover that the earth was round. The idea of a spherical world had been widely accepted in educated circles from as early as the fourth century B.C. Yet, bizarrely, it was not until the supposedly more rational nineteenth century that the notion of a flat earth really took hold. Even more bizarrely, it persists to this day, despite Apollo missions and widely publicized pictures of the decidedly spherical Earth from space. Based on a range of original sources, Garwood's history of flat-Earth beliefs---from the Babylonians to the present day---raises issues central to the history and philosophy of science, its relationship to religion and the making of human knowledge about the natural world. Flat Earth is the first definitive study of one of history's most notorious and persistent ideas, and it evokes all the intellectual, philosophical, and spiritual turmoil of the modern age. Ranging from ancient Greece, through Victorian England, to modern-day America, this is a story that encompasses religion, science, and pseudoscience, as well as a spectacular array of people and places. Where else could eccentric aristocrats, fundamentalist preachers, and conspiracy theorists appear alongside Copernicus, Newton, and NASA, except in an account of such a legendary misconception? Thoroughly enjoyable and illuminating, Flat Earth is social and intellectual history at its best.

First published in 1895, this volume contains a series of arguments against the idea that the world is round. The belief that the Earth is flat and not a globe existed in many ancient civilisations, but we now know that this is not true. However, even today there are those who believe in a flat earth, just as there was when ideas of a spherical earth were relatively new. Within this book, the author explains why these new ideas of the planet as a globe are absurd, with interesting examples and explanations as to precisely why. Highly recommended for those with an interest in Flat Earth theory and the history of astronomy. Contents include: “Ships 'Going Down!'”, “How Much Loner Will it Be?”, “Absurd Theory!”, “No Proof to be Had”, “When the Man Has Time!”, “Earth A Globe”, “The Scientific Wager of 1870”, “Our Opponents Ways and Means”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this book today in an affordable, modern edition complete with the original text and artwork.

This book will provide a global perspective on AI and the challenges it represents, and will focus on the digital ethics surrounding AI technology.

Is the Earth a sphere hurtling through a universe? This book poses questions to someone who is firmly convinced that the earth is flat. He backs up his arguments with over 100 of his own pictures and makes vivid arguments for a flat earth that anyone can verify for themselves. And not only that, he also refutes other scientific theories. The fact is that the number of flat earth proponents is growing rapidly. No other movement is growing so fast. And no one who came to believe that the surface of the Earth must be flat is returning to believing in the spherical Earth. Are the arguments for a flat Earth really that convincing? It seems so. Especially Christians who regard the Bible as God's Word will have to face the question why there are 38 references in the Bible to the earth being flat, but not a single reference pointing to a spherical earth or a universe, to suns light years away or to alien galaxies.