History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 461 - Eileen Reeves on Galileo and the Telescope
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Jan 19, 2025 Eileen Reeves, a Princeton Professor of Comparative Literature and an expert on Galileo, dives into the fascinating world of early telescopic innovation. She discusses the groundbreaking mechanics behind Galileo's trumpet-shaped telescopes, highlighting their adjustable eyepieces. The conversation traverses the evolution of optical devices, from ancient inventions to modern science, and reveals the intricate dance of craftsmanship and theory in telescope development. Reeves emphasizes how these advancements shaped our understanding of the cosmos and the philosophical debates they ignited.
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Telescope Construction
- Early telescopes used a concave lens for the eyepiece and a convex lens for the objective, connected by a tube.
- The tube aligned the lenses and blocked out excess light, enabling magnification.
Legends and Early Magnification
- Legends about long-distance vision tools existed since antiquity, including using wells or mirrors.
- Some methods, like using water-filled glasses or concave mirrors, offered slight magnification.
Dutch Telescope Development
- The Dutch telescope's invention involved lens makers and may have benefited from trial and error.
- Descartes criticized this approach, but the involvement of skilled artisans likely played a role.