“The first known calculation of the Earth’s circumference was made 2300 years ago by a man called Eratosthenes. I remember in school, how impressed I was by how accurately the Earth’s circumference was measured such long time ago. Today we’re going to take a closer look on how his calculation was made.”
Thomas Willis (1621-1675) : Neurologist, Chemist, Physician
“Willis is not only credited to be the founder of neurology, but he is also seen as the father of comparative neuroanatomy, as his work, in particular Cerebri anatome and De anima brutorum, compare the human brain with that of other species in ‘search for specific human abilities in cognitive functions’ (Molnár, p. 334).”
Thomas Willis (1621-1675) : Neurologist, Chemist, Physician
“Willis is not only credited to be the founder of neurology, but he is also seen as the father of comparative neuroanatomy, as his work, in particular Cerebri anatome and De anima brutorum, compare the human brain with that of other species in ‘search for specific human abilities in cognitive functions’ (Molnár, p. 334).”
The History of Ions: Unveiling the Electric Charge
"Around 1830, Faraday posited the existence of charged particles within molecules that migrate between electrodes during electrolysis—an idea ahead of its time."
#Image attribution: Science History Institute, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Faraday_-_Man_of_Science_-_DPLA_-_5f2b65726e7d4bb523e98ae61828bc11_(page_6).jpg
The History of Ions: Unveiling the Electric Charge
"Around 1830, Faraday posited the existence of charged particles within molecules that migrate between electrodes during electrolysis—an idea ahead of its time."
#Image attribution: Science History Institute, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Faraday_-_Man_of_Science_-_DPLA_-_5f2b65726e7d4bb523e98ae61828bc11_(page_6).jpg
"Space has fascinated authors, scientists, storytellers, and children alike. From a brief history of the moon to a collection of diverse stories connected to the stars, our Space Day reading list will deepen your love and appreciation of the cosmos."
"The term “eugenics” (from the Greek for ‘well born’) was birthed here in Cambridge by Trinity’s own Francis Galton in 1883. Galton was inspired by his cousin Charles Darwin and adapted the idea of natural selection to presuppose that the survival of the fittest had been distorted by social welfare policies."
"In most work in the history of science, the approach is to show how a particular event or outcome was the result of various social and intellectual influences. Bayesian history of science, on the other hand, focuses on the lines of evidence relevant to the historical development to see if the direction taken by an individual or group of scientists was consistent or inconsistent with the evidence at hand."
Henry Small; Bayesian history of science: The case of Watson and Crick and the structure of DNA. Quantitative Science Studies 2023; 4 (1): 209–228. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00233
"In most work in the history of science, the approach is to show how a particular event or outcome was the result of various social and intellectual influences. Bayesian history of science, on the other hand, focuses on the lines of evidence relevant to the historical development to see if the direction taken by an individual or group of scientists was consistent or inconsistent with the evidence at hand."
Henry Small; Bayesian history of science: The case of Watson and Crick and the structure of DNA. Quantitative Science Studies 2023; 4 (1): 209–228. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00233
Gloria Childress Townsend, eds. Rendering History: Women of ACM-W was just published this past week and is available on the ACM Digital Library. #histsci
No cute bunnies or lambs in my files, I'm afraid. I do, however, have a lot of queer chickens. This is a painting of a hen-cock (c. 1900), a prize fighter, by English artist Herbert Atkinson. 🥚🐥🐔
Lovely colour plate depicting gynandromorph specimens in the collections of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Produced by German entomologist Friedrich Klug in 1829. 🦋 🐞
"With its added translations from Arabic into Hebrew, the astrolabe closely recalls the recommendations prescribed by the Spanish Jewish polymath Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089–1167) in the earliest surviving treatise on the astrolabe in the Hebrew language written in 1146 precisely in Verona."
🏴 "However, he was a mathematician of some skill, and his textbook The Elements of Mathematical Analysis, Abridged, for the Use of Students is of interest for his view of analysis. Though he was unable to complete a more comprehensive work for publication, many manuscripts survive in St Andrews University Library. Vilant’s book and manuscripts and the reception of his work are here examined."
"I argue that Dee was interested in Nunes’ work as early as 1552 (but probably even earlier). I also claim that Dee was aware of Nunes’ programme for the use of mathematics in studying physical phenomena and that this may have influenced his own views on the subject."
"I argue that Dee was interested in Nunes’ work as early as 1552 (but probably even earlier). I also claim that Dee was aware of Nunes’ programme for the use of mathematics in studying physical phenomena and that this may have influenced his own views on the subject."
Here's a podcast on New Books Network where I talk about (surprise surprise) my new book, 'Visions of a Digital Nation', and why Margaret Thatcher's 1984 #privatisation of British Telecom was a pivotal moment for both #neoliberalism and #digitalisation.
Just a reminder that, following the Royal Society event in Jan, my article 'Mendel's Closet: Genetics, Eugenics and the Exceptions of Sex in Edwardian Britain' has been made freely available until the end of Feb/LGBTQ+ History Month.
Gynandromorph bordered white moth from Charles Barrett's Lepidoptera of the British Isles (1901). 🦋
At 11am (GMT) next Wednesday (31 Jan) I will be discussing my article 'Mendel's Closet' as part of the Royal Society history of science seminar series. 🏳️🌈 🧬