Ridiculous History: "People Knew the Earth Was Round Way Earlier Than You Think"

Podcast: Ridiculous History
Hosts: Ben Bowlin, guest co-host Max “Flat Earth” Williams
Release Date: February 11, 2026

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Ben Bowlin is joined by producer Max Williams (filling in for regular co-host Noel Brown) to tackle a ubiquitous historical myth: that Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Earth was round in 1492. The hosts dive deep into the messy, fascinating truth about humanity’s awareness of Earth’s shape, debunking the enduring legend surrounding Columbus and tracing how knowledge (and misinformation) about the world’s roundness has evolved through the centuries.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Columbus Flat Earth Myth

• The Myth: Most people believed the world was flat until Columbus courageously proved otherwise in 1492.
• Reality: "It turns out it is absolute fiction. And in today’s episode, we are going to figure out when people actually learned the Earth is round." (Ben, 06:23)

2. Why the Myth Endures

• The tale, presented as fact in textbooks and classroom lessons, persists due to a 19th-century piece of historical fiction rather than reality.
• Max recalls learning this myth in elementary school: "Later to find out that... all the context around this was lies. And also, this guy [Columbus] sucks." (Max, 05:13)

3. Life and Priorities in Ancient Times

• For most of history, day-to-day survival trumped abstract curiosity about Earth's shape.
• Max: "You're really kind of more focused on this whole, you know, surviving thing." (07:43)
• It was only after stabilization of societies that people could indulge in speculation and scientific inquiry.

4. Civilization Video Game Analogy

• The hosts compare human exploration and discovery in real history to the mechanics of "Civilization" video games (10:03–13:35), highlighting how limited knowledge and priorities shaped ancient worldviews:
  • "At the beginning you can only see a little bit of the land around you. The rest of the world... is shrouded in darkness. It only becomes visible as you explore..." (Ben, 13:09)

5. Obstacles to Scientific Consensus

• Early societies were not "knuckleheads," they simply lacked resources and incentives for scientific investigation.
• Challenges: Isolation, religious authority, and the danger of dissent ("People often died in cartoonishly gruesome ways for pitching other narratives." – Ben, 19:34)
• Past thinkers (often "nerds") faced persecution for challenging orthodoxy.

6. The True Columbus Story

• Columbus’s real issue wasn't convincing people the world was round; it was underestimating its size.
• "If anything, Chris had funding problems because he just underestimated the size of the planet by a cartoonish amount. He thought Earth was way smaller than it actually is." (Ben, 25:14)
• The flat Earth debate simply wasn’t an issue for educated people after the 3rd century BCE.

7. The Source of the Flat Earth Myth: Washington Irving

• The myth was popularized not in Columbus’s own day, but by writer Washington Irving in his 1828 multi-volume biography "A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus."
  • "He claims that Chris has fought the system... single-handedly revolutionized scientific thought. This is all malarkey." (Ben, 32:19)
• Irving’s blend of fact and fiction was taken as gospel, disseminated through textbooks and other writers.

8. Ancient Knowledge of a Round Earth

• As early as the 5th century BCE, Greek philosophers were speculating about a round Earth.
• Hellenistic astronomers mathematically proved the concept and attempted early circumference calculations.
• This knowledge was known throughout much of the so-called “Old World” and persisted through Roman times and the Middle Ages.
• "No educated person in the history of Western civilization from the third century B.C. onward, believed that the Earth was flat.” (Ben quoting historian Jeffrey Burton Russell, 24:47)

9. Magellan’s Real Historical Proof

• The first experiential proof for ordinary people came from Magellan’s circumnavigation (1519–1522).
• "His journey did become the first solid proof that the Earth is a sphere. And he was just proving something that people have known since before the time of Jesus Christ." (Ben, 41:11)

10. Reflection and Debunking

• The episode concludes with a reminder that ancient people were as intelligent as modern ones, but with different tools and context.
• The hosts urge listeners to challenge the ingrained flat Earth myth and appreciate the true timeline of human discovery.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Debunking Schoolhouse Lore:
  "The idea that most of human civilization thought the Earth was flat all the way up to the 1400s... It turns out it is absolute fiction." (Ben, 06:23)

• On Human Priorities:
  "If you're gonna sit around trying to debate, 'I wonder if this world is round,' you’re gonna probably just starve or get a cut and die or be eaten by something." (Max, 07:43)

• Columbus’s Real Blunder:
  "If anything, Chris had funding problems because he just underestimated the size of the planet by a cartoonish amount." (Ben, 25:14)

• Washington Irving’s Responsibility:
  "Irving can’t help but zhuzh it up with all sorts of embellishment and tall tales. He doesn’t want the facts to get in the way of a good story..." (Ben, 32:43)

• Academic Consensus in Antiquity:
  "No educated person in the history of Western civilization from the third century B.C. onward, believed that the Earth was flat." (Ben quoting Jeffrey Burton Russell, 24:47)

• Colorful Aside:
  Max: "The story of Christopher Columbus is absolutely ridiculous. It is just full of so much lies and propaganda and stuff." (23:44)

• On Historical Transmission:
  "Other authors fall for this as well. They pick up on the thread, they cite Washington Irving extensively... This BS becomes accepted as historical fact." (Ben, 34:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:13–06:23 — The Classroom Myth of Flat Earth and Columbus
• 10:03–13:35 — Civilization Game Analogy & Ancient Discovery
• 14:49–15:58 — The Weight of Authority and Dangers of Dissent
• 22:10–23:44 — Society’s Persecution of “Nerds” and Outliers
• 24:47 — Historian Jeffrey Burton Russell’s Devastating (and Funny) Quote
• 27:47–34:53 — Washington Irving’s Biography and the Myth’s Propagation
• 36:49–40:00 — Ancient Greek and Indian Knowledge of Earth’s Shape
• 41:10 — Magellan’s Circumnavigation: Experiential Proof
• 43:00–44:05 — Modest Mouse Lyric, Reflections, and Episode Wrap-up

Tone, Style, and Additional Highlights

• The hosts combine irreverent humor ("Chrissy boy ain't no hero. Never was." – Max, 24:14), pop culture references (Civ games, Modest Mouse, and Ja Rule), ribbing, and historical detail.
• Playful asides keep the episode light, even as it tackles deep misconceptions.
• The episode is interconnected with prior explorations of scientific heresy and historical correction.

Summary Takeaway

The belief that people thought the world was flat until Columbus is a modern myth crafted by writers, not an accurate historical account. Whether through astronomical observations over two millennia ago or Magellan's circumnavigation, humanity has long known the true shape of our planet. This episode is a lively, richly detailed, and myth-busting journey—reminding us that real history is weirder, and often more impressive, than the simple stories we’re taught.