Sometimes mistakes, misunderstandings and misinterpretations are good!
Today I was being lazy! So I opted to study something out of the track! However, my desk and computer is loaded with my quotidian books, articles and webpages. I opted to read something that would ease my brain with more simple reading material and less quizzical derivations. So I took time off from, propeller mechanism and devoted it to something I consider as an accessory in our flying machines; a compass. (although, I totally agree it’s a vital part! no offence.)
Studying its introduction in the chapter lead me to the history and that is, when, I thought of writing a post…
We all know that a compass has 360 equally spaced arcs and each one representing a degree. Well! What fascinated me was the fact that, how during old times ancient people “Babylonian” divided these sections.
Babylonian people did an extensive study on the astronomical objects. They studied the motion of stars and concluded that there are 360 days in a year. So they divided a circle into 360 parts taking each small section as a day. This latter become the standard for the division of degree and no one bothered to correct it.
Perhaps, no one bothered because; it was easier to take the assumption into calculation. For illustration say; if they had known that there are 365 days (pardon the exception of leap year) we were going to have more vigorous calculations in out maths class! The value of pi in polar coordinate system was going to be 182.5`̊and geometry was going to have lot of multiplication. The significant figures were also going to be more precise. In brief, world was about to be a bit more complex.
If it would have been so, I would have been least bothered only after reaching college. After all, we were allowed to use scientific calculators!
PS Even if things are wronged, they will have a positive impact in long term!
