Yesterday I finished reading an interesting book which tells the history
of the myth that Columbus sailed for the Indies in the face of widespread
belief that the world was flat. I'd always thought this particular
nonsense was made up by a kindergarten teacher somewhere, but it wasn't.
The book is short and worthwhile. It is not gripping, but it will
instantiate the formation of a scientific myth we've all heard about. The
construction of such myths continues today, and a historical precedent is
always welcome.
The book is called "Inventing the Flat Earth", by Jeffrey Burton Russell.
Every science teacher should read this short (76 pp + illustrations) work.