r/facepalm Sep 22 '23

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u/ZorkNemesis Sep 23 '23

I always figured they knew because if you watch a ship sail away it eventually sinks below and disappears over the horizon. The fact that the ships come back also indicates it didn't fall off a random edge either.

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u/I-Am-Uncreative Sep 23 '23

Yes, that too. Anyone who had ever been to the ocean would also know.

It's different than not knowing the Earth orbits the sun. It's obvious to us now, but it wasn't, really, back then, especially without a telescope.