This man was the conspiracy theorist of his time.

He said the Earth was not stationary, but revolved around the Sun. This was total blasphemy in his day, not just because it contradicted the Church's doctrines, but because it also just didn't make sense to people!


One of his most famous critics argued, 'If it's the Earth that's moving, then surely all our cities would not be able to stand, and would be razed to the ground with the slightest perturbations!'

And everybody nodded back wide-eyed. Entire generations had to die off before the genius of Copernicus could be properly recognized.


Here's to a real conspiracy theorist!

Originally posted by bsbray11
This man was the conspiracy theorist of his time.

One of his most famous critics argued, 'If it's the Earth that's moving, then surely all our cities would not be able to stand, and would be razed to the ground with the slightest perturbations!'

And everybody nodded back wide-eyed. Entire generations had to die off before the genius of Copernicus could be properly recognized.


Here's to a real conspiracy theorist!

Well Said mate!

What a cool find, thanks for posting this!

One correction those saying he was a conspiracy theorist

The big difference is that he evidence and that evidence, the math, could be worked out and observation made from the data.

It was, it was accepted and built on.

It was the evidence folks.

I too would have to say that Copernicus really was one of the true conspiracy theorist's of that time. The suppression of knowledge by the church establishment was all powerful, all encompassing. It is no wonder that this level and intensity of suppression of knowledge would lead to the forming of underground groups of scientific people that would defie the doctrines of the church.

People like Galileo and Bruno who both studied and adopted Copernicus's theorys both paid a high price some 50 years later, Giordano Bruno was found guilty of blasphemy and burned at the stake. Galileo was forced to renounce all belief in Copernican theories, and was thereafter sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his days.

The Vatican church while denouncing anything and everything that threaten its hold over the people, activity collected and hoarded everything it could find around the world and locked it away in one of its many underground vaults.

I often wonder if Copernicus had not been able to share his observations with like minded people of his time, how much longer would it have taken before someone else was able to come forward and make known to the world that the church's view of the universe was wrong.

The real conspiracy

Was that the Church knew he was right and still prosecuted him and others they did this because they felt that the knowledge of the fact that the Earth was not the center of the universe was a threat to the church and their authority!

If the Earth is not at the Center then God is not at the Center which in Turn means the church is not either.

So who are the real conspirators?

Originally posted by Hanslune
One correction those saying he was a conspiracy theorist

The big difference is that he evidence and that evidence, the math, could be worked out and observation made from the data.

It was, it was accepted and built on.

By who? Other conspiracy theorists of the time?

Face it. You have a man with a theory that goes against the grain of every expert, and they had "facts" and "evidence" to support their debunking of Copernicus as well (which was all "accepted," as you put it yourself, by virtually everyone!)

Just because we realize he was right in retrospect, does not elevate the way people thought of him back then. You can't change the history of that time after the fact.

[edit on 14-12-2008 by bsbray11]

Yeah I think people get the two mixed up. Like other things the Vatican had 'right wing and left wing' in its policies. Copernicus died just as his book was published so there wasn't much they could do.

Also in Galileo times the Protestant movement was taking on the Vatican and they probably felt they need to take a harder line.

Gilgamesh is next.

Good thread. I read about this in the newspaper a few weeks back, it made me smile, Copernicus has always been a favourite historical figure of mine.

Good points about him being a 'conspiracy theorist' too.

It wasnt a conspiracy theory. A conspiracy is a cover up, in order for it to be that, someone must have known that the Earth wasnt the centre of the Universe, and back then they just didnt know. It's not like the Church covered it up, sure they didnt believe him or it was against what they taught, but it is not like they knew before Kopernik (real spelling) came along and covered it up.

So no, it wasnt a conspiracy.

And for the record, the proper spelling of his name is Mikołaj Kopernik.

Originally posted by Quiintus
Gilgamesh is next.

Alexander and Imhotep's would be worth finding too.

Good points Mikeraphone - ah I see from the name that you displayed that you have taken the Polish side in the German vs Polish question. I believe is scientific stuff was in latin. I wonder what language he spoke at home??

From the old wiki

Numerous variants of Copernicus' name are documented. Until the mid-1530s, he mostly signed himself Coppernic. Afterward, he followed the academic custom of his time and adopted a Latinized version of his name. Thus, on the title page of his epochal book, Nicolai Copernici Torinensis De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium Libri VI, the astronomer's name appears as Nicolaus Copernicus.

As he himself called himself Coppernic, I'd go with that. Being that he was half German and half Polish - he can be claimed by both.