the material universe, the natural world, and the natural universe) is all matter and energy, ...
Among other things, history tells us who is right and who is wrong. We will concentrate on the ``rights,'' but the ``wrongs'' will show us why the ``rights'' are correct.
The Early Development of Astronomy
Each culture has its own stories about the sky and the stars. In ancient China, people generally believed that the sky or the heaven was important but mythical. Hence, there were serious and detailed observational records, but no significant models for predictions.
In contrast, around 600 B.C., Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus had already proposed the universe is rational and could be understood by humans. Around 400 B.C., Plato claimed that heaven is perfect and circle is the most perfect form. Thus, the heaven is in uniform circular motion with the Earth at the center. This is the beginning of the geocentric model.
The simple geocentric model cannot explain the retrograde motion of the planets. Around 140 A.D., Ptolemy proposed his refined geocentric model. (He proposed many refinements. We only talk about the simplest one.)
http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature
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