What shape was the Earth in the representation of Columbus? Detailed answer

Free technical library

BIG ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS
Free library / Directory / Big encyclopedia for children and adults

What shape was the Earth in the representation of Columbus? Detailed answer

Big encyclopedia for children and adults

Directory / Big encyclopedia. Questions for quiz and self-education

Comments on the article

Did you know?

What shape was the Earth in the representation of Columbus?

a) flat.
b) round.
c) pear-shaped.
d) an oblate sphere.

Columbus himself never claimed that the Earth was round - he considered it pear-shaped, about a quarter of the real size.

Despite everything that was said later, the purpose of Columbus' voyage in 1492 was not the discovery of a new continent: Columbus set sail to prove that Asia is much closer than everyone thought. And turned out to be wrong.

In fact, Columbus never set foot on the American continent - the closest he managed to get to was the Bahamas (probably the small island of Plana Key) - but the navigator made his crew swear that if they were asked, everyone would confirm, that reached the shores of India. Christopher Columbus died in the Spanish city of Valladolid in 1506, until the last day he was sure that he had sailed to Asia.

It is simply amazing how different the information that has come down to us about Columbus as a person differs. Most of the evidence indicates that he was the son of the Genoese weaver Domenico Columbo, but there are so many contradictions in the rest of the biography of the future discoverer that he could just as well be called a Sephardic Jew, Spaniard, Corsican, Portuguese, Catalan and even Greek. Columbus's native language was a Genoese (not Italian) dialect, he learned to read and write in Spanish (with a noticeable Portuguese accent) and Latin, and Columbus kept his secret diary in Greek.

We do not know what Columbus looked like - not a single lifetime portrait has been preserved - but his son claimed that until the age of thirty his father was fair-haired, after which his hair turned completely gray.

We do not even know where the great navigator is buried. It is only known that after death, the flesh was removed from the body of Columbus (as was customary in the XNUMXth century for the powerful of this world), and the bones were buried first in Valladolid, then in the Cuevas monastery, then in Santa Domingo (Cuba), then - in Havana and, finally (again, presumably), returned back to Spain, solemnly buried under a monumental tombstone in the Seville Cathedral.

Nevertheless, in Santa Domingo there is still a sarcophagus with the name of Columbus, and the Italian Genoa and Pavia vied with each other to claim that the remains of the famous pioneer lie in their city. DNA tests are currently underway, and yet the final resting place of Columbus - or Columbo, or Colon (as he preferred to call himself) - will probably remain as controversial as the whole life and achievements of this great man.

Author: John Lloyd, John Mitchinson

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

What is surge flood?

When a strong and prolonged western wind raises the water level in the narrow Gulf of Finland, the Neva turns back and floods St. Petersburg, located on a low coast. This is an example of a surge flood. The two biggest ones happened exactly 100 years apart: in 1824 (remember A. S. Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman") and in 1924. The dam built in the bay saved the city of Petra forever from this disaster.

Test your knowledge! Did you know...

▪ What is the greenhouse effect and how does it affect the Earth's climate?

▪ Was there discrimination based on hair color?

▪ Why is it forbidden in India and China to find out the sex of the baby during pregnancy?

See other articles Section Big encyclopedia. Questions for quiz and self-education.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

Machine for thinning flowers in gardens 02.05.2024

In modern agriculture, technological progress is developing aimed at increasing the efficiency of plant care processes. The innovative Florix flower thinning machine was presented in Italy, designed to optimize the harvesting stage. This tool is equipped with mobile arms, allowing it to be easily adapted to the needs of the garden. The operator can adjust the speed of the thin wires by controlling them from the tractor cab using a joystick. This approach significantly increases the efficiency of the flower thinning process, providing the possibility of individual adjustment to the specific conditions of the garden, as well as the variety and type of fruit grown in it. After testing the Florix machine for two years on various types of fruit, the results were very encouraging. Farmers such as Filiberto Montanari, who has used a Florix machine for several years, have reported a significant reduction in the time and labor required to thin flowers. ... >>

Advanced Infrared Microscope 02.05.2024

Microscopes play an important role in scientific research, allowing scientists to delve into structures and processes invisible to the eye. However, various microscopy methods have their limitations, and among them was the limitation of resolution when using the infrared range. But the latest achievements of Japanese researchers from the University of Tokyo open up new prospects for studying the microworld. Scientists from the University of Tokyo have unveiled a new microscope that will revolutionize the capabilities of infrared microscopy. This advanced instrument allows you to see the internal structures of living bacteria with amazing clarity on the nanometer scale. Typically, mid-infrared microscopes are limited by low resolution, but the latest development from Japanese researchers overcomes these limitations. According to scientists, the developed microscope allows creating images with a resolution of up to 120 nanometers, which is 30 times higher than the resolution of traditional microscopes. ... >>

Air trap for insects 01.05.2024

Agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy, and pest control is an integral part of this process. A team of scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI), Shimla, has come up with an innovative solution to this problem - a wind-powered insect air trap. This device addresses the shortcomings of traditional pest control methods by providing real-time insect population data. The trap is powered entirely by wind energy, making it an environmentally friendly solution that requires no power. Its unique design allows monitoring of both harmful and beneficial insects, providing a complete overview of the population in any agricultural area. “By assessing target pests at the right time, we can take necessary measures to control both pests and diseases,” says Kapil ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Rain batteries 10.04.2016

Over the past four years, solar panels using graphene have set two efficiency records. First, in 2012, scientists from Florida State University (USA) created a prototype photovoltaic cell, which consisted of a silicon semiconductor wafer coated with a layer of graphene treated with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. That prototype showed an efficiency of 8,6%. Two years later, Spanish and British scientists completely got rid of the silicon substrate in such a device, which allowed them to increase the efficiency to 15,6%. To do this, they had to use graphene, titanium oxide and perovskite.

Another achievement in the field of using graphene for solar cells was a recent invention by Chinese scientists. Their photovoltaic cell is able to generate electricity in the absence of the sun. The fact is that when graphene is placed in an aqueous solution, its electrical conductivity allows the material to bind a pair of positively charged ions with a pair of negatively charged electrons during the Lewis acid-base reaction. With this property, the researchers were able to remove lead ions and organic dyes from the solution and obtain elements that produce electricity from both the sun and raindrops.

Rainwater is not distilled, but contains various salts that separate into positively and negatively charged ions. When water contacts graphene, positive ions bind to electrons on the graphene surface. At this point, a double layer of electrons and positively charged ions forms, forming a pseudocapacitor. The potential difference between the two layers turned out to be large enough to create a current and voltage.

Based on this idea, the researchers created in the laboratory a prototype dye-sensitized solar cell coated with a thin film of graphene, which was sprinkled with lightly salted "rain" water. The voltage of the prototype reached hundreds of microvolts, and the efficiency of converting solar energy into electrical energy was 6,5%.

Other interesting news:

▪ global dimming

▪ Mobile phone embedded in teeth

▪ Samsung laptops based on Ivy Bridge processors

▪ rubber computer

▪ 3000 hp electric car

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the site Funny puzzles. Article selection

▪ Song of Songs article. Popular expression

▪ article Which programming language was named after a comedy series? Detailed answer

▪ article Acceptor of orders. Job description

▪ article Remote probe - frequency divider up to 500 MHz for FC250 frequency counter. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article Steady pencil. physical experiment

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews