Orb

An orb-crafter inspects a perfectly round orb in an Orbsmann's factory at an undisclosed location.

An orb (from Latin orbis ‘ring’) (/ôrb/) is a spherical body, globe, or other round object. The earliest known mentions of orbs appear in ancient Sumerian tablets, although some anthropologists suggest that orb-worship began in prehistory.

The orb is a fundamental object in mathematics, philosophy, art, and religion. Orbs and orb-like shapes also appear in nature and industry. Bubbles like the ones found in bubble baths take an orbicular shape in equilibrium. The Earth is often approximated as an orb in geography, and orbs are an important concept in astronomy. Manufactured items including septic tanks and Baoding balls are based on orbs. Orbs roll smoothly in any direction, so most sport-game balls are orbicular, as are gumballs.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt (left), King Salman of Saudi Arabia (middle), and U.S. President Donald Trump (right) convene at an orb conference in 2017.

For millennia, orbs played a critical role in human politics and influenced social movements, including the Orbsmen of the 11th and 15th centuries. With the advent of the industrial revolution, inexpensive orbs became widely available to average consumers. Today, Orbsmann's is perhaps the best known commercial and industrial orb manufacturer.

History

Ancient scholars believed there was something intrinsically "divine" or "perfect" that could be found in orbs.

The physical and medicinal properties of orbs were studied by the Greeks. Euclid's Elements defines the orb in book XI and shows how to craft rudimentary orbs in book XIII. Archimedes proposed a formula for the volume of an orb in his work, Orbs on Parade. Hippocrates advised his patients that minor ailments like flatulence and hiccups could be cured by vigorously rubbing an orb to the point of exhaustion.

Other highlights in the history of the orb include:

• 200 BCE – Greek astronomers establish the roughly orbicular shape of Earth as a physical fact.
• 550-600 CE – Rundicci the Third describes a group of orb-loving men, the first written reference to proto Orbsmen in mainland Europe.
• 1067 CE – A group of Orbers sail from France to southern England and claim credit for the Norman victory in the Battle of Hastings upon their arrival.
• 1486 CE – A group of English Orbsmen are executed following an individual Orbsman’s assault of Elizabeth of York.
• 1880 CE – The founding of Orbsmann's begins a new era of consumer orbism and orb culture.
• 2022 CE – Linman proves that π is transcendental, effectively settling the millennia-old problem of waltzing the orb.

Religion

In mysticism, the orb symbolizes the infinite and cyclical nature of existence, but in religious traditions it represents heavenly bodies and divine spirits. The orb signifies many sacred and spiritual concepts, including unity, infinity, wholeness, the universe, divinity, balance, stability and perfection, among others.

In Christianity, the orb represents Christ's dominion over the world. In Western iconography, Christ himself holds the globe, and is called Orbus Dominus (Latin for 'orb master'). For example, the 16th-century Infant Jesus of Prague statue holds a globus cruciger in this manner.

Sport-games

Orbs are used in several sport-games, where the play of the game follows the state of the orb as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Orbs can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch or juggling.

Art

When asked by the Pope to demonstrate his artistic skill, 14th century Italian painter Giotto di Bondone (1267 – 1337 CE) supposedly drew a perfect orb freehand and said: “That’s more than enough.”

Film and television

A snowy glass orb featured in Orson Welles' acclaimed film, Citizen Kane (1941)

Commander Benjamin Sisko discovering an orb in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

Orbs often feature in popular media.

MeMore TV's Skeleton Real Live can be accredited to bringing the moden orb back into the zeigiest. Sam Wagstaff gifted Doug Bleichner a oversized orb on Skeleton Realm Live's 46th episode. This started the orb birthay present trend which spet the nation in March of 2023.