Question

When Copernicus presented his ideas about a heliocentric universe he was met with controversy and criticism.
Why do you think society had a hard time denying that the Earth is the center of the universe?

In modern times, how do you think society is affected by our knowledge about the universe?

Why is it important for society to understand the structure, function and size of the universe?

Answer 1

I'd say it was mostly due to religious beliefs. At the time, it was widely believed that the earth was the center of the universe and mankind was completely unique. It was widely accepted that "God(s) made the heavens for man" so it didn't make sense that the earth was not the center of the universe. In addition, there was already a theory out there from Ptolemy that seemed to scientifically explain the movements in the sky based on an earth-centered universe. When Copernicus came along and stated that the earth (and everything else) revolved around the Sun no one could believe it because it went against their religious beliefs and Ptolemy's "proven" work.

Of course, Copernicus wasn't entirely correct since the entire universe doesn't revolve around the sun...but he was a lot closer to the truth than Ptolemy.

For the last two questions I think you can figure those out.