Waubonsee Community College

Voyaging in strange seas, the great revolution in science, David Knight

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

Voyaging in strange seas

bibliography

862066455

David Knight

the great revolution in science

In 1492 Columbus set out across the Atlantic; in 1776 American colonists declared their independence. Between these two events old authorities collapsed, Luther's Reformation divided churches, and various discoveries revealed the ignorance of the ancient Greeks and Romans. A new, empirical worldview had arrived, focusing now on observation, experiment, and mathematical reasoning. This book takes us along on the great voyage of discovery that ushered in the modern age. The author, a historian of science, locates the Scientific Revolution in the great era of global oceanic voyages, which became both a spur to and a metaphor for scientific discovery. He introduces the well-known heroes of the story (Galileo, Newton, Linnaeus) as well as lesser-recognized officers of scientific societies, printers and booksellers who turned scientific discovery into public knowledge, and editors who invented the scientific journal. He looks at a wide array of topics, from better maps to more accurate clocks, from a boom in printing to medical advancements. He portrays science and religion as engaged with each other rather than in constant conflict; in fact, science was often perceived as a way to uncover and celebrate God's mysteries and laws. -- From publisher's website

Voyaging in strange seas -- The deep roots of modern science -- Refining common sense : the new philosophy -- Looking up to heaven : mathematics and telescopes -- Interrogating nature : the use of experiment -- Through nature to nature's God : the two books -- Sharing the vision : scientific societies -- Life is short, science long : the healing art -- Making things better : practical science -- The ladder of creation : the rise of natural history -- A global perspective : exploring and measuring -- Enlightenment : leisure, electricity and chemistry -- Revolution, evolution : how then, did science grow? -- Notes -- Further reading -- Illustration acknowledgements -- Index