tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173393362223742012.post1372357954187133210..comments2023-08-24T08:30:25.608-07:00Comments on Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You: October and November is Personalized Medicine 2 Months!Steve Murphy MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774190000307343476noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173393362223742012.post-46461827751691138542008-10-12T21:21:00.000-07:002008-10-12T21:21:00.000-07:00Christopher Columbus thought that he discovered As...Christopher Columbus thought that he discovered Asia because he misjudged the circumference of the Earth to be much smaller than it is. Sailing to Asia would have proved his hypothesis. However, he sailed to some other landmass, proving nothing. <br><br>Further, the idea that the Earth was round was well understood since the ancient Greeks. Maybe peasants and Ug the Oarsman thought the Earth was flat, but classically educated people did not. The problem was that everybody (correctly) thought that the Earth was much bigger and that sailing to Asia would be impossible (which it would have been). Columbus managed to convince the Portuguese not that the Earth was round and proved right, but falsely convinced them that the Earth was much much smaller than it was and proved nothing.<br><br>Finally, Columbus died moderately wealthy at 50-something, but never achieved nobility, and his health and mind were shattered from the stresses of his life.<br><br>The legacy of Columbus is that, in retrospect, history can glorify you as a hero, even if in life you were somewhat of a crazy, miserable, frustrated person who was wrong who kept pestering the world's royalty for money for decades until he got it and then got really lucky.<br><br>You may want to consider muse.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10433343566083450681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173393362223742012.post-45337474077301083782008-10-12T21:26:00.000-07:002008-10-12T21:26:00.000-07:00Also, the other lesson about Columbus is "Don...Also, the other lesson about Columbus is "Don't believe anything you were taught in primary school." and "There are no heroes, only people." and "Reality has no constraint to produce only nice, clean myths for your convenient belief."Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10433343566083450681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173393362223742012.post-70348021086729592362008-10-13T03:32:00.000-07:002008-10-13T03:32:00.000-07:00Well, http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/c-C...Well, <br>http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/c-Columbus/columbus.html<br><br>There are several sides of his tale....Not just yoursSteve Murphy MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774190000307343476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173393362223742012.post-67291035150652170572008-10-13T08:02:00.000-07:002008-10-13T08:02:00.000-07:00What part of "my story" are you contesti...What part of "my story" are you contesting? <br><br>That:<br><br>- Columbus had a completely bogus theory and managed to convince others of his bogus theory.<br><br>- Columbus got very lucky because there happened to be another landmass between Europe and Asia despite that the Earth was much bigger as big as he thought it was. Otherwise, he would have been trying to sail an ocean the size of the Atlantic + Pacific + the USA using 15th century tech.<br><br>- That he aggressively solicited royalty for funding for almost a decade, which was only granted when he managed to convince somebody of his wrong theories and because Isabella was more concerned that Columbus would take his ideas to rivals?<br><br>- That Columbus died of terrible degenerative diseases in his 50s, never became nobility, and while wealthy, never was granted what was promised to him (for example, 10% of wealth from his discoveries)<br><br>Shall I continue?<br><br>Or, do you just not like my story, so you vaguely discredit it by implying that I'm wrong?Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10433343566083450681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6173393362223742012.post-4034103805392034562008-10-13T09:27:00.000-07:002008-10-13T09:27:00.000-07:00I didn't contest any of your story. I do conte...I didn't contest any of your story. I do contest your pic choice........<br><br>-SteveSteve Murphy MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774190000307343476noreply@blogger.com