How did we decide which end of the Earth is north and south?

Enlighten me. Too lazy to Google.

North and south is an arbitrary decision. It is similar to why left is left and right is right.

You can google deez nutz.

.

Well how did they decide the North Pole and the South Pole? Woah.NiKva

North and South America look like a duck if you look at it right.

[QUOTE="NiKva"]Well how did they decide the North Pole and the South Pole? Woah.Storm_Marine

North and South America look like a duck if you look at it right.

imgthemajormayor

flip of a coin probably

I suggested it and the scientists just went with it. Go figure.

You could have typed "who decided north was up" in a Google search bar faster than it took for you to post this thread.....

Besides, an OT thread already covered this a few years ago and was one of the first links on that search. One possible reason could be because compases point to the Arctic and not the Antartic.

I'm guessing it was how the first cartographers made their maps. I doubt it would be because of the Magnetic Field like I've heard before because that is a more recent discovery.

I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth, the north side of my town faced east and the east was facing south.

I'll take a swing here!

A compas points north, so that's the top of the world. The opposite direction is the bottom. That's my theory.

How did ancient people know the world was spherical?

How did ancient people know the world was spherical?

Philokalia

How did ancient people know the world was spherical?

Philokalia

- the night sky looking different in locations far from each other (like the Greek colonies, hence the Greeks figuring it out first)

- sun shadows having different angles at the same time in different locations (that's how they measured Earth's circumference with great accuracy)

- the fact that ships/land became visible only at a certain distance - you can see mountains or masts "rising" from beyond the horizon

Well once upon a time Europe concurred the world, then decided to put themselves on top.

Because of its rotation with other objects.

[QUOTE="Philokalia"]

How did ancient people know the world was spherical?

Baranga

- the night sky looking different in locations far from each other (like the Greek colonies, hence the Greeks figuring it out first)

- sun shadows having different angles in the same in different locations (that's how they measured Earth's circumference with great accuracy)

- the fact that ships/land became visible only at a certain distance - you can see mountains or masts "rising" from beyond the horizon

[QUOTE="Philokalia"]

How did ancient people know the world was spherical?

megagene

Eratosthenes says "Hi".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eratosthenes#Eratosthenes.27_measurement_of_the_Earth.27s_circumference

Most of the ancient world knew the earth was spherical.

I'll take a swing here!

A compas points north, so that's the top of the world. The opposite direction is the bottom. That's my theory.

RandomWinner

[QUOTE="Philokalia"]

How did ancient people know the world was spherical?

megagene

Magnets.

Too lazy to Google, yet willing to visit Gamespot and make a thread in OT.