Prof. Tom Regan
LIB 200.6501
Rezwana Islam
9/25/2007
The Shape of the World
“The Shape of the World” is a documentary that reveals many concepts that once
thought to be true, and now people came to know its false. In this modern 21st era,
through science and technology human perception about the world has changed. Now
rather than go by the books or take one’s words about a concept people do research about
it. There were many concepts that were once thought to be true have been proven false.
People used to believe world is like flat and floating in the air. Then a person named
Anaximander thought of world as pie shape suspended in the air. But when astronauts
went to the moon, they actually found evidence that world is round. People also used to
believe that world begins with them. As seen on the documentary, when Chinese people
created the map they put their country in the middle and put the rest of the world around
them. The earliest Greek known to have made a map of the world was Anaximander. In
6th century BC, he drew a map then known the world, assuming that the earth was
cylindrical. This map was about controlling land and profit. People also had these
misconceptions that one language, one ethnicity, one culture, or one religion is better than
the other. But now people came to believe everything is valid. No language or no religion
is better than the other. If a religion don’t say to hurt anybody and make someone feel
fine, its good. Now people know how to show respect to others’ value, culture, and
religion. As of my experience, I used to believe that my culture and my religion are better
than the other. Living in New York and seeing people from diverse ethnicity helped me
make bond with other country’s people. I came to realize that their culture is neither
Prof. Tom Regan
LIB 200.6501
Rezwana Islam
9/25/2007
better nor worse than mine. We all have unique culture and we also have some
similarities in our culture.