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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – XLVII
A central theme of this series has been theories of motion over the two thousand years from Aristotle up to the seventeenth century. A fundamental plank on which the accepted theory of motion in...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – XLVIII
In 1618, the same year that Isaac Beeckman (1588–1637) was teaching the principle of inertia to René Descartes (1596–1650), Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) made one of the most significant discoveries in...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – L
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour, manipulation, and detection of electromagnetic radiation, which for most of its history meant simply light. The study of light begins with...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – LI
In his book, The History of the Barometer (The Johns Hopkins Press, 1964), W. E. Knowles Middleton whilst discussing the contact between Isaac Beeckman (1588–1637) and René Descartes[1] (1596–1650)...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – LII
Many people who write extensively about René Descartes concentrate almost exclusively on his philosophy and his hyped up, supposed role as the father of modern philosophy. However, he wrote...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – LIII
When Isaac Beeckman (1588–1637) was introducing the young René Descartes to mathematical physics in Breda in 1618, he gave him exercises to help him develop his skill in this new discipline. One of...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – LIV
In the history of science of the seventeenth century Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695) occupies a rather strange niche. On the basis of his scientific achievements and his influence there can be very...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – LVI
In a previous post in this series I looked at the life of Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695) in general and his contribution to the development of optics in particular. In that post I emphasised that...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – LVII
In the early modern period England lagged well behind the European continent in the development of the natural sciences and mathematics. We are now rapidly approaching the man whose work would not...
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From τὰ φυσικά (ta physika) to physics – LIX
Towards the end of the last episode of this series where I outlined the early life of Isaac Newton, I noted that between 1664 and the early 1670s, he undertook one of the most impressive period of...
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