Monthly Archives: June 2012

Reflecting the heavens

Posted on June 21, 2012 by thonyc

In the past I have written about the problems of deciding who actually invented the reflecting telescope and also about John Hadley the man who, about fifty years after Newton had made the first functioning reflecting telescope, finally succeeded in manufacturing them. Today I … Continue reading →

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Giants’ Shoulders #48 is up

Posted on June 20, 2012 by thonyc

Giants’ Shoulders #48 the history of science blog carnival hosted by Sienna Latham has been posted at Clerestories, lots to read and some things to see for all friends of the history of science. Go on a visit and read your fill.

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On Balance, a Battle: Simberloff (vs. Grene) vs. Odum on the Greek Roots of Ecosystem Ecology’s Enduring Appeal

Posted on June 20, 2012 by dublinsoil

Recently I wrote about Eugene Odum’s ecosystem concept.  Its motto is that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”  Odum’s view that natural ecosystems were integrated wholes which developed in a manner that parallels the development of … Continue reading →

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Observing transit history in the media

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Rebekah Higgitt

I have a post up on the Guardian’s ‘Notes and Theories’ science blog. It’s called What they didn’t tell you about the transit of Venus. ‘They’ are all the potted transit histories that I’ve read/heard/watched over the last few weeks. What … Continue reading →

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Hans Peter from Langendorf

Posted on June 11, 2012 by thonyc

On this day in 2009 The Renaissance Mathematicus first crept warily out into the vast depths of cyberspace. As it’s our third birthday I decided it’s about time to talk about our blog banner. With the exception of a short … Continue reading →

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Faraday’s motivation

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Rebekah Higgitt

In response to a comment stream on the Times Higher Education supplement, that raised the issue of whether Michael Faraday was about the business of pure or applied scientific research, I wrote this post.

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Scientific histories: debates among Victorian historians

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Rebekah Higgitt

To see a review of Ian Hesketh’s The Science of History in Victorian Britain: Making the Past Speak, hop over to teleskopos.

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Living and dying in Cook’s shadow.

Posted on June 5, 2012 by thonyc

Who was Charles Green and what did he have to do with James Cook and the expedition to Tahiti to observe the Transit of Venus? [You can find the answers here]

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When you’re in a hole, stop digging!

Posted on June 4, 2012 by thonyc

Somebody made a comment at Scientific American on Ken Shulman’s article pointing to my criticism and providing a link. Not unexpectedly, Mr Shulman has reacted and posted a sort of defence of his excruciating piece on the history of astronomy. He … Continue reading →

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Scientific American craps out.

Posted on June 2, 2012 by thonyc

Just in case you haven’t noticed yet next Wednesday an astronomical “once in a lifetime” “event of the century”, a transit of Venus, will take place. This has naturally provoked a flood of media interest resulting in lots and lots … Continue reading →

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