Fantastic post on X by Archeohistory

@histories_arch

Contrary to popular belief, Christopher Columbus did not prove the Earth was round when he sailed west in 1492. Ancient Greek scholars like Eratosthenes had calculated Earth's circumference around 240 BC, and educated Europeans throughout the Middle Ages accepted the planet's spherical shape. Medieval universities taught spherical Earth geography, and sailors understood basic celestial navigation that relied on this knowledge. The real dispute surrounding Columbus's voyage wasn't about Earth's shape—it was about its size.

Columbus believed he could reach Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic, but he drastically underestimated the distance. He calculated Earth's circumference at roughly 18,000 miles when the actual figure is nearly 25,000 miles. Spanish scholars correctly argued that no ship could carry enough supplies for such a journey, which is precisely why they initially rejected his proposal. Columbus only succeeded because an unknown landmass—the Americas—happened to lie in his path. Had the continents not existed where they did, his crews would have perished long before reaching Asia.

The "flat Earth" myth emerged centuries later during the 19th century, when writers like Washington Irving romanticized Columbus's story to portray him as an enlightened hero battling ignorant medieval superstition. Irving's 1828 biography depicted Columbus defending Earth's spherical shape against church officials who supposedly believed in a flat world—a scene Irving invented entirely. This fictional narrative served contemporary cultural purposes, positioning modern science against supposedly backward religious thinking, but it had no basis in historical fact.

The myth persisted because it offered a compelling story about progress triumphing over ignorance. Textbooks repeated the tale for generations, and it became embedded in popular culture. The truth—that Columbus was wrong about his calculations while his critics were essentially correct—makes for a less satisfying narrative. Medieval scholars were far more scientifically sophisticated than the myth suggests, and Columbus's success resulted from fortunate accident rather than superior knowledge.

Understanding this historical reality matters because the flat Earth myth distorts both medieval intellectual achievement and the nature of Columbus's voyage. It perpetuates false narratives about the "Dark Ages" and obscures the actual controversies surrounding Columbus—his treatment of indigenous peoples, the consequences of European colonization, and the exploitation that followed. The real history is more complex and more troubling than the simplified myth of a lone visionary proving basic geography.

The Alien Interview Tape Might be REAL! - Jon Stewart | DEBRIEFED ep. 69 - Area 52 YouTube

I, quite honestly, don't know what to make of this guy?
On the one hand, his reintroduction of the original 'Alien Interview' video, from the mid 1990s, is quite commendable and I still view it as likely the only credible footage of an 'Alien-like' being captured on film, I do have a few issues with the man (Mr. Stewart) himself and his associations with US ProWrestling, his several failed political campaigns and his own admission that he's being limited by what he can say? (Though the latter, I can forgive, after all, theres some things that I myself am limited to talk about, as ive stated publicly before).
But then he goes and mentions something that I've used as a gauge, with many of you in private chats on here, for how much you actually know about the UFO subject and whether you're someone who's (shall we say) someone I should be wary of?
S. A. B. R. E
I've not heard anyone else even talk about this, or even know what it means and that kind of makes this guy stand out to me...

https://youtube.com/watch?v=WM0AtxRN-l0&si=iHMxljqI_nG7yHnI