Science History

Astronomy and the Greek Muses: Icons of the Rhythms of Life

In popular culture the Greek Muses are seen as representations of artistic inspiration. Writers, and especially poets, are keen to express their mysterious source of insights as a territory inhabited by their muse. Dante, feeling fragile and forlorn as he ...

Blog Post - Richard Mankiewicz - Feb 24 2010 - 11:48pm

Giordano Bruno, Dominican, Philosopher, Astronomer, Mathematician (1548 – February 17, 1600)

Between the January 1589 and the spring of 1590, at Helmstedt, Giordano Bruno wrote "The Lulliana Medicine”. This work consists of a practical application of the Lullian System in the medical astrology. The text incorporate large sections of Explanati ...

Article - Camillo Di Cicco - Mar 14 2015 - 6:25am

Imperial Units of Length Melt as Parliament Burns (Science in Trafalgar Square, London)

There is a plaque on the south side of Trafalgar Square, just behind the statue of Charles I, that is the reference point from which all distances from London are measured. However, there is a far more intriguing plaque of scientific interest that is also ...

Blog Post - Richard Mankiewicz - Feb 25 2010 - 10:51am

Why The Greeks Were Theorists

Why did the Babylonians and the Greeks approach astronomy so differently? In my last post I quoted Toulmin and Goodfield from their history of dynamics and astronomy, The Fabric of the Heavens, where they argue that the Babylonians, because of their carefu ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Sep 11 2010 - 4:32pm

An Argument For Cross-Disciplinary Studies

An Argument For Cross-Disciplinary Studies Lack of experience diminishes our power of taking a comprehensive view of the admitted facts. Hence those who dwell in intimate association with nature and its phenomena grow more and more able to formulate, as t ...

Blog Post - Patrick Lockerby - Mar 1 2010 - 8:48am

The Royal Mail Celebrates 350 Years Of The Royal Society

The Royal Mail has launched a Special issue commemorating the 350th Anniversary of The Royal Society. Ten specially-commissioned stamps have been issued showing some of the most famous scientist in the Royal Society's long history. The question is... ...

Blog Post - Richard Mankiewicz - Mar 1 2010 - 9:04am

Albrecht Von Haller – Views And Outcomes

 Now here’s an interesting chap.   The Göttingen Academy of Sciences [1] was founded in 1751 with Albrecht von Haller (1708 – 1777) [2] as the main driving force in the setting it up.  He had very definite views on what an academy should be.  The historia ...

Article - Robert H Olley - Mar 18 2010 - 5:35pm

Baird: The Wonder Of Television

Baird: The Wonder Of Television The following article was scanned by me from " The Wonder Encyclopedia For Children " Odhams, 1933. Apart from minor adjustments to layout and removal of page references it is verbatim. I present it here as a view ...

Article - Patrick Lockerby - Mar 18 2010 - 9:55pm

How Is The Date For Easter Calculated?

Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar as it defines a number of theological doctrines. However, Easter has always been a movable feast which can take place on any date between 22 March and 25 April inclusive. The actual methods fo ...

Article - Richard Mankiewicz - Mar 23 2010 - 1:53pm

Visit Trinity This Easter

This must rank up there as the most bizarre holiday destination in the world. Trinity is the location of the first nuclear test by the Manhattan Project. The world's first plutonium bomb was detonated there on 16 July 1945- similar to the one dropped ...

Blog Post - Richard Mankiewicz - Mar 25 2010 - 10:12am