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Stonehenge Builders Used Pythagoras' Theorem 2,000 Years Before He Was Born (techtimes.com)
According to a new book entitled "Megalith," which was released on June 21 to coincide with summer solstice, ancient humans who designed Stonehenge followed Pythagoras' theorem 2,000 years before his birth, around 2500 B.C. The theorem states that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the other two squares on the triangle. TechTimes reports: [The theorem] was developed by ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras, who was born in 570 B.C. However, Stonehenge was assembled 2,000 years before his birth, around 2500 B.C. This theory suggests that these ancient humans were smarter than what people give them credit for. In order to use Pythagoras' theorem, they had to be really skilled at geometry.
"We think these people didn't have scientific minds but first and foremost they were astronomers and cosmologists," John Matineau, the editor of the book, told the Telegraph. "They were studying long and difficult to understand cycles and they knew about these when they started planning sites like Stonehenge."
"We think these people didn't have scientific minds but first and foremost they were astronomers and cosmologists," John Matineau, the editor of the book, told the Telegraph. "They were studying long and difficult to understand cycles and they knew about these when they started planning sites like Stonehenge."
I'm sure that many early cultures were aware of the a^2 +b^2 = c^2 relationship.
What gives Pythagoras the credit is that he proved it.
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Did they find ancient carvings that included or alluded to the math involved? Perhaps some rectangular markings that were used for alignment? Someone buy the book and tell us the answer.
Not quite.
A "Pythagorean triangle" is a right-angled triangle where the sides all have integer length. This guy claims to have found some of those, in particular there's a rectangle of stones that mark important sunrise/sunset events and moonrise/moonset events which, when you cut it in half, is Pythagorean.
Which seems odd to me. If the stones are determined by the calendar events, that's the reason why they have those proportions, not Pythagoras' theorem. The builders may have discovered this integer ratio relationship and found it interesting, but I doubt it's the other way around.
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The base of an igloo, which is essentially a circle, follows the formula Circumference = pi * Diameter.
After building several hundred igloos, I am sure an Inuit builder would have empirical knowledge that it takes roughly three times as many steps to go around a circle than it takes to walk the diameter. In this way, the Inuit builder would have a very practical understanding of pi without possibly ever defining pi.
Children may use 3-4-5 triangles in wood shop before ever learning about Pythagoras's Theorem.
Some woodworkers have a very practical understanding of specific right triangles without really thinking the maths through.
I would put the Stonehenge builders in the same lot. Lots of empirical knowledge, but maybe less so on the modern-day mathematical definitions.
No calculations necessary. Pure geometry with simple means.
That article is possibly the stupidest thing I have ever read in my life.
What would Benjamin Franklin have to say about the absurdity that Alaska, with less than a million inhabitants, has the same Senate power as California, a state with over 38 million people
He'd say, "Good". That's EXACTLY what the Senate was designed for... so that small states would be on an equal footing with the large states.
I can't comment on what Benjamin Franklin would have said then or now; however, it's worth noting that the US is a very different place than it was when the constitution was made.
Look at the name of the US- it's the United STATES; not the United PROVINCES. At the time of founding the states were viewed as... well, states aka NATIONS, not provinces. This was a coming together of different nations to become one. The original US was more of a confederacy than a single nation. Obviously over time the US has become a more united single country and states are now treated more like regions or provinces than independent countries.
Giving states equal footing in the senate was to prevent little states being bullied by larger states. (in the UN today, all countries get one representative and one vote despite some being larger than others).
Now that the US is almost universally agreed as one single country the idea that small states need protection is perhaps not as important. The two senators per state is probably an outdated concept- but I highly doubt it will ever go away. Small states wouldn't give up that extra power they have. I think 100 years from now you're more likely to see bigger states fracturing to give themselves more senate votes rather than see small states give up their advantage.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch