The worldviews of early cultures correspond to their space of experience. A flat Earth divided by mountains and waters is covered by the dome of a faraway and unapproachable sky.

In ancient times, seafaring and astronomy provide indications of the spherical shape of the Earth. This becomes the basis of the Aristotelian worldview including the elements earth, water, air, and fire. The spherical Earth is at the center surrounded by the waters of the oceans and the enveloping atmosphere as well as a sphere of fire.

Physics and astronomy of the modern era displace Aristotelianism and pose new kinds of questions. How does the rotation of the Earth affect its shape? Which forces determine the Earth’s orbit? How does the Earth’s magnetic field originate?