ickplant@lemmy.world to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 9 hours agoBears or no bears?lemmy.worldimagemessage-square39fedilinkarrow-up1482arrow-down17
arrow-up1475arrow-down1imageBears or no bears?lemmy.worldickplant@lemmy.world to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 9 hours agomessage-square39fedilink
minus-squareegerlach@lemmy.calinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up23·8 hours agoIt’s still mind blowing, even if it is a coincidence.
minus-squaredebris_slide@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up19·7 hours agoYou’re going to name constellations after things that you know well, so the fact that there are a lot of bears relative to other megafauna in northern regions means that in a way the original idea still holds, just not quite as basic.
minus-squarebstix@feddit.dklinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2·edit-22 hours agoSome constellations, including the Great Bear, were named long before our languages even existed. Etymology wise we might say it comes from ancient Greek, but it’s also called Great Bear in languages that have no origin in Greek. Wikipedia - Cosmic Hunt I’m going out on a limb here, but I believe the Great Bear is actually named after a great bear. Not all cultures though. In Brazil, the Big Dipper is also known as “large anus of the snake”.
It’s still mind blowing, even if it is a coincidence.
You’re going to name constellations after things that you know well, so the fact that there are a lot of bears relative to other megafauna in northern regions means that in a way the original idea still holds, just not quite as basic.
Some constellations, including the Great Bear, were named long before our languages even existed.
Etymology wise we might say it comes from ancient Greek, but it’s also called Great Bear in languages that have no origin in Greek.
Wikipedia - Cosmic Hunt
I’m going out on a limb here, but I believe the Great Bear is actually named after a great bear.
Not all cultures though. In Brazil, the Big Dipper is also known as “large anus of the snake”.