| Since the days of ancient mythology, scientists and philosophers have debated the shape of Earth. Since about 500 B.C., the idea that the Earth was a perfect sphere has dominated most scientific thinking, even though the concept of a flat Earth may have persisted in some regions for another millenium. Around the end of the 16th century, the idea that the Earth was a perfect sphere evolved into a radical new idea: that the Earth was an imperfect sphere. This new way of thinking was initially divided into two major schools of thought. One believed the Earth was egg-shaped (prolate). The other believed the Earth was flattened at the poles (oblate). The modern concept of a basically oblate Earth was demonstrated to be correct and has spawned many theoretical variations during the last hundred years as geodesy has advanced. Use the slider bar on the
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