Show Notes
Arguably the first science, was the science of astronomy. Beginning in the middle east I begin with a look at science in ancient Egypt, before moving onto their more sophisticated neighbours The Babylonians. Along the way I discuss the astronomical discoveries of these early cultures and ask the question: Why did science start here? Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https://thecompletehistoryofsci...
More from The Complete History of Science
At twenty-five, Galileo was back in Pisa, this time as its Professor of Mathematics. The salary was roughly that of a good stonemason, and the university was firmly in the hands of the Aristotelians, some of whom had once been his teachers. In this episode we look at Aristotle’s ideas on motion, and why even his most devoted followers couldn’t agree on what they meant. Galileo had little patience for any of it. Instead he turned to Archimedes and to a new generation of Italian mathematicians ...
In 1583, Galileo Galilei was eighteen years old and enrolled as a medical student at the University of Pisa. On the surface, life was good. There was, however, one problem: he couldn't stand medicine. We begin with his early years, from his musician father and difficult mother to the monks who very nearly kept him for good. Nicknamed The Wrangler for arguing with his professors, Galileo slipped uninvited into a lecture on geometry and was captivated. Mathematics was poorly paid and held in lo...
Michael, an Associate Professor in Reproductive Science, joins us for a wide-ranging dive into the history of reproductive science. From ancient Galenic theories and Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings, through the gradual unravelling of how sperm and eggs work, to the breakthroughs that ultimately made IVF possible. We trace the key milestones: sperm capacitation, early animal studies, and the pioneering work of Edwards, Steptoe, and Purdy that led to the birth of Louise Brown in 1...
In 1610 reports reached Prague that Galileo had discovered new planets, and Kepler felt compelled to find out for himself what had actually been seen. Reading Starry Messenger and later observing through a borrowed telescope, he became one of Galileo’s earliest and most important defenders. Kepler not only confirmed the existence of Jupiter’s moons but also argued publicly for the reliability of telescopic observations, and went further by explaining, for the first time, how the telescope wor...
Merry Christmas! Answering listener questions as well as some long standing FAQs. Enjoy! Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https://thecompletehistoryofscience.com/ Contact: [email protected] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/gethinrichards.bsky.social Music Credit: Folk Round Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License