Journey to the center of Maine Part 3: After

[bucolic_frolic]

13. ChatGPT answer

"The understanding that looking directly at a solar eclipse can cause blindness has been recognized for centuries, dating back to ancient civilizations. Historically, there are records suggesting that ancient cultures such as the Babylonians and the Greeks were aware of the risks associated with looking directly at solar eclipses. However, the specifics of when this knowledge was first discovered are not well-documented.

One notable account is from the Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote about the Battle of Halys in 585 BCE. According to Herodotus, the soldiers involved in the battle stopped fighting when a solar eclipse occurred, as they interpreted it as a sign from the gods. This suggests that even in ancient times, people understood the unusual nature of solar eclipses and may have been aware of the dangers of looking directly at them."