medieval universities spherical Earth lecturers

Medieval European scholars knew the Earth was round

The idea that medieval Europeans generally believed in a flat Earth is a modern myth. Educated scholars in medieval Europe commonly accepted that Earth was spherical, drawing on ancient Greek astronomy and their own teaching traditions. Debates about geography and cosmology continued, but Earth's roundness was not a shocking discovery introduced by Columbus.

Roman culture outlasted imperial rule

The Western Roman Empire’s fall in 476 ended political unity and military control, but Roman culture did not disappear at once. Archaeological and cultural traces continued in some areas as late as the eleventh century.

The deep ocean stores far more heat

~50× the mixed layer’s heat capacity

The ocean’s deep layers have about 50 times the heat capacity of its mixed layer. They respond over millennia, delaying the effects of climate change. As the ocean warms, its expansion also contributes to sea-level rise.

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medieval universities spherical Earth lecturers

Medieval European scholars knew the Earth was round

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