PANGAEA

Pangaea.  Okay, who ever heard of it?   I didn't think so.

It is the name given to the supercontinent that existed on Earth in Paleozoic and Mesozoic times (that's a long time ago).  It is the one single land mass that, when broken apart about 100 million years ago, gave us the seven contintents we have now.  Of course, it was surrounded by a super ocean and it is called Panthalassa. Next time you're at a cocktail party, bring these up in conversation with snobby guests.

Did you notice I said, "on Earth".  It occurred to me that there are two ways of referring to our planet:  "Earth" and "the Earth."  Both seem to work in almost any situation.  That doesn't carry through with other celestial bodies.  It doesn't feel right to say "moon" without adding "the" as in "the moon."  i.e.  "The spaceship is going to moon." doesn't work.  On the other hand, Mars never sounds right with "the".  i.e. "The spaceship is going to the Mars." doesn't work.   Interesting!  Isn't it?   Well, I think it is.

Okay, I'll come back down to Earth.
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