The Scientific Odyssey

In this episode, we discuss the transition of European astronomy from the 13th century to the end of the 15th century.  We spend some time taking a look at the effects of The Great Mortality on the institutions of Europe and consider the factors of the rediscovery of atomism, the development of the printing press, the Fall of Constantinople and the rise of the new universities of central and eastern Europe in creating the conditions that would allow for new ideas to develop and spread.  We then conclude by looking at the work of Georg Peurbach and Johannes Muller that brings a full and complete understanding of the Hellenistic model Ptolemy.

This episode takes a look at the rise of the European university in the 12th century, the development of Scholasticism, the impact on the translations of Aristotle's works and the accompanying commentaries on it and the effects of the Condemnations of 1277.  From this, the challenges to Aristotle's formulation of physics and the terrestrial motion of objects are considered. The contributions of Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, Bardwardine and the Oxford Calculators, Jean Buridan and Nicole Oresme during this period are all covered.

In the final episode in our trilogy on the philosophy of time, we look at J. M. E. McTaggart's essay, The Unreality of Time, and then work through various philosophical positions that arise from it.  Included in the discussion are presentism, eternalism, the block universe model and the arrow of time.

In this episode we open the account of the temporal realist beginning with Isaac Newton and John Locke.  We then look at the a priori idealism of Immanuel Kant before ending on the reformulation of physics by Albert Einstein and his concept of relativity in space-time.

We look at how various ancient philosophers and theologians conceptualized time.  We look at the paradoxes of Eleatic school of Parmenides and Zeno, the response of Aristotle and the later reconsideration of the topic by Augustine.  This week is spend looking at early versions of idealism and relationalism with just a brief mention of realist concepts like relativity and frames of reference.

A short explanation of the recent lack of new content from the podcast and what the plan is going forward.

In this episode we look at subdividing the day with the development of time keeping devices from the gnomon and sundials to atomic clocks.

We look at the development of the modern western calendar from prehistory through the time of the Roman Kings to the reforms of Julius Caesar (the Julian Calendar) and Pope Gregory XIII (the Gregorian Calendar).  Modern attempts at calendar reform are also discussed including the World Calendar and the International Fixed Calendar.

We look at the rediscovery of astronomical texts by western Europe from the time of the Plague of Justinian to the Great Mortality.  The work of Martianus Capella, Isidore of Seville, Gerard of Cremona, Averroes and Johannes of Sacrobosco is examined and placed in a wider historical context.

A brief scientific biography of the Islamic physicist, Ibn al-Haytham.  We look at his work in optics, mathematics, astronomy and the development of a method of scientific inquiry.