Renaissance+science

In the 14th century, sailors at sea didn't dare lose sight of the coastline. They were afraid of getting lost.Their one-sail ships could sail only in the direction the wind was blowing.The best map of the world at the time had only three continents on it, with the center of the world being Jerusalem. The technology that they had invented made a huge impact in the way they sailed. || For Columbus to sail across vast oceans, he needed better ships and navigational equipment. First, there was the development of the caravel (a sailing ship with three masts.) This new vessel was a lot more easier to move because of its combination of triangular and square sails. The caravel was also sturdy enough to make the long ocean crossing. Sailors used a magnetic compass to keep track of the direction the ship was headed. The development of the astrolabe made it possible to keep track of the ship's position by comparing its position to the stars. || Ptolem'ys map was important for several reasons. First, it was a more complete map of the world than any other that existed at that time. Also, Ptolemy used a unique gridding technique not seen before. A Florentine geographer, Pablo Toscanell, realized that Ptolemy had used linear perspective to create a map that showed the curvature of the earth on a two-dimensional surface. Using Ptolemy's system, Toscanelli created the first mapping coordinates. These lines of longitude and latitude let travelers easily locate places on the map and calculate distances. Toscanelli realized that it was possible to sail directly to the source of the spices. Then they found out that a person could go east by sailing west. Although Toscanelli did not sell anyone on his idea at the time, it did spark the imagination of an Italian seaman, Christopher Columbus. ||
 * [[image:00001449.jpg caption="Magnet"]] || [[image:http://www.beyondbooks.com/eur11/images/00001450.jpg width="200" height="196" caption="Magnetic Compass"]] || [[image:http://www.beyondbooks.com/eur11/images/00004296.jpg width="400" height="308" caption="Ptolemy's Map"]] ||
 * The technological advances came from a variety of sources. The inspiration to sail west came from a grid. Better navigation relied on a magnet. European military superiority rested on gunpowder. Sailing was difficult because