Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[sgolds]

Elmer, before Columbus?

A couple of things: First, many of the ancients knew the world was round. An ancient Egyptian fellow proved this and actually calculated the circumference of the world to a few percent by comparing the angle of shadows in straight wells (a few hundred miles apart) on midsummer's day on two succeeding years. Similarly, there were ancient Greeks who proved mathematically the world was round.

Now, in the 1500s, the crew of Magellan proved that the world was round by actually sailing around it. (Also discovered the concept of time zones when their records, meticulously kept, were off by a full day.)

Although it is popularly believed that Columbus proved that the world is round, and undoubtably he did believe this, but he certainly did not prove it!

What Columbus did do is this: He proved and publicized the existance of a world on the west side of the Atlantic. (Although English fishermen actually brought back new species from off the coast of Newfoundland before this point, they kept it their little secret. Columbus may have sought his westward route to the east knowing this secret, being an experienced captain himself.)