The classic example of science "getting it wrong" is the geometry of the Universe. For hundreds of years, essentially all scientists believed that the Moon, The Sun, the Planets and the Stars all revolved around the Earth.

Over the centuries, these scientists developed complex mathematical charts and tables that described the locations of all the major astronomical items. Except for a few planets.

Copernicus, Galileo and a handful of others posited that yes, the Moon revolved around the Earth, but the Earth and the other planets revolved around the Sun. The response from the scientific (and ecclesiastical) community was scorn, ridicule and threats of punishment!

After all, the Earth as the center of the Universe was "Settled Science."

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Plate Tectonics

When I was in grade school -- 4th or 5th grade -- the class was studying basic geography. I noticed that the western edge of Africa and the eastern edge of South America looked very similar. I pointed out my "finding" to the teacher.

He COULD have acknowledged the similarity and then explained (using the then-current understanding of the Earth's construction) that this was simply a coincidence.

Instead, in front of the entire class, he ridiculed me for being so stupid as to think that the Earth's continents could actually move!

That was my first encounter with what happens when someone questions "established" science. Unfortunately, it was not the last, as later posts will show.

Today, we understand the concept of Plate Tectonics, and recognize that continents not only can drift around, but that they are doing so at this very moment
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