The Scientific Odyssey

Episode 3.20: Scientific Revolution-The Discovery of Discovery

20 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take a look at the Scientific Revolution through the lens of David Wooten' thesis that the most important trigger for the rapid sci...

Episode 3.19.4: Supplemental-Johannes Kepler-Harmony Lost and Found

13 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In the final part of the part of our biography of Johannes Kepler, we look at his scientific work from 1612 to his death in 1630 including the Epitome...

Episode 3.19.3: Supplemental-Johannes Kepler-Triumph and Tragedy

06 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In part three of our biography of Johannes Kepler we look at his years in Prague and the scientific work he did there including Astronomiae Pars Optic...

Episode 3.19.2: Supplemental-Johannes Kepler-The Center of Intrigue

30 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In part 2 of our biography of Johannes Kepler we look at the mathematician and astronomer's time in Graz and with Tycho Brahe in Prague.  We specific...

Episode 3.19.1: Supplemental-Johannes Kepler-Searching for Harmony

23 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Part 1 of our biography of of Johannes Kepler covering his early life from his seminary schooling to his time in Graz.

Episode 3.19: All Ashore-The 100th Episode

16 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we dock in Venice for a questions and answers episode wherein I talk about podcasting, understanding quantum mechanics, the origin of the un...

Episode 3.18: The Starry Messenger

09 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the astronomical observation of Galileo Galilei and the escalating conflict with the Aristotelian Scholastics that dominated the Itali...

Episode 3.17: Refuting Aristotle

02 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we take a look at the early life and work of Tuscan natural philosopher and engineer, Galileo Galilee.  We examine his investigations on mo...

Episode 3.16.1: Supplemental-Counter Reformation and the Life of Giordano Bruno

25 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we take a break from the scientific narrative to look at the events following the Protestant Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire.  We spec...

Episode 3.16: The Harmony of the Worlds

18 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we look at the work of Johannes Kepler and his three Laws of Planetary Motion.  We discuss the principles that motivated his work and...

Episode 3.15.3: Supplemental-The Decline and Fall of Tycho Brahe

11 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this final episode devoted to the life of the Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe, we look at his conflict with Nicolaus Reimers Bar (aka Ursus) as well...

Episode 3.15.2: Supplemental-On Tycho's Island

04 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at the construction of Uraniborg on the island of Hven and the astronomical work done on it.  We also discuss the ideas that inform...

Episode 3.15.1: Supplemental-The Rise of Tycho Brahe

28 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 1 of our biography of the Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe, we follow his life from the keeps and fortresses of his homeland to the universities...

Episode 3.15: The Tychonic Model

14 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at the scientific work of Tycho Brahe and his Tychonic Model of the solar system.

Episode 3.14: Evaluating Copernicus

07 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we evaluate the Copernicus heliocentric model of the solar system and compare it to Ptolemy's geocentric model.  We then look at the model'...

Episode 3.13.2: Supplemental-Copernicus and Rheticus, Part 2

31 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A continuation of the the biographies of Nicolas Copernicus and Georg Joachim Rheticus from the time of the two men's meeting through the end of Rheti...

Episode 3.13.1: Supplemental-Copernicus and Rheticus, Part 1

24 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The first part of a biographical examination of the two men who started the Scientific Revolution, Nicolas Copernicus and Georg Joachim Rheticus.

Episode 3.13: Revolution of the Spheres

17 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take a look at the scientific work of Nicolas Copernicus including the Commentariolus and On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Sphere...

Episode 3.12.2: Supplemental-The Master, The Student and the Cardinal

10 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A more in-depth look at the lives of Georg Peuerbach, Johannes de Regio Monte (aka, Johanes Muller, aka Regiomontanus) and Cardinal Basilios Bessarion...

Scientific Odyssey Unscripted-The JUNO Mission

05 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We take a look at NASA's JUNO Mission and the news of last night's successful orbital insertion as well as the science mission to come.

Episode 3.12: Restoring Astronomy at the End of the Middle Ages

03 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we discuss the transition of European astronomy from the 13th century to the end of the 15th century.  We spend some time taking a l...

Episode 3.11: Questioning Aristotle

26 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This episode takes a look at the rise of the European university in the 12th century, the development of Scholasticism, the impact on the translations...

Episode 3.10.5: Supplemental-A Brief History of Telling Time, The Philosophy of Time, Part 3

19 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In the final episode in our trilogy on the philosophy of time, we look at J. M. E. McTaggart's essay, The Unreality of Time, and then work through var...

Episode 3.10.4: Supplemental-A Brief History of Telling Time, The Philosophy of Time, Part 2

12 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we open the account of the temporal realist beginning with Isaac Newton and John Locke.  We then look at the a priori idealism of Imm...

Episode 3.10.3: Supplemental-A Brief History of Telling Time-The Philosophy of Time, Part 1

05 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We look at how various ancient philosophers and theologians conceptualized time.  We look at the paradoxes of Eleatic school of Parmenides and Zeno, ...

Podcastia Interruptus

29 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A short explanation of the recent lack of new content from the podcast and what the plan is going forward.

Episode 3.10.2: Supplemental-A Brief History of Telling Time, The Clock

15 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we look at subdividing the day with the development of time keeping devices from the gnomon and sundials to atomic clocks.

Episode 3.10.1: Supplemental-A Brief History of Telling Time, The Calendar

01 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We look at the development of the modern western calendar from prehistory through the time of the Roman Kings to the reforms of Julius Caesar (the Jul...

Episode 3.10: Astronomy Between the Plagues

24 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We look at the rediscovery of astronomical texts by western Europe from the time of the Plague of Justinian to the Great Mortality.  The work of Mart...

Episode 3.9.1: Supplemental-Ibn al-Haytham

17 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A brief scientific biography of the Islamic physicist, Ibn al-Haytham.  We look at his work in optics, mathematics, astronomy and the development of ...

Episode 3.9: Islamic Astronomy

10 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we look at the astronomical work done during the Golden Age of Islamic Science.  This includes the work sponsored by the Abbasid cali...

Episode 3.8.1: Supplemental-South American Astronomy

03 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we look at the role of astronomy in the culture of the Inca Empire and Kogi Tribe.  We examine the Cusco, Coricancha and the ceques a...

Episode 3.8: The Great Syntaxis

27 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A look at the work of Ptolemy's Mathematical Treatise, otherwise known as the Almagest.  Hipparchus, precession, the Library of Alexandria and the br...

Episode 3.7: Hellenistic Astronomy from Aristarchus to Hipparchus

20 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We look at the failure of the Eudoxian model of homocentric spheres and the models of Aristarchus of Samos, Apollonius of Perga and Hipparchus to prop...

Episode 3.6.1: Supplemental-Rounding the Earth

13 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A look at the evidence gathered by the Greek, Hellenistic and Arabic natural philosophers that determined the size and shape of the Earth.  Aristotle...

Episode 3.6: The Geometer's Universe

06 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A look at Greek astronomy from the time of Hesiod and Homer to the spherical model of Aristotle.  The writings of Thales, Empedocles, the Pythagorean...

Episode 3.5.1: Supplemental-Mesoamerican Astronomy

28 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of some aspects of Mesoamerican astronomy including the Mayan calendar with its Calendar Round and Long Count Calendar and the cities of ...

Episode 3.5: The Necessary Tools

21 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we look at the practice of Babylonian astronomy and the tools that made it possible: cuneiform writing and arithmetical mathematics.

Scientific Odyssey Unscripted-Thoughts on LIGO

14 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Some unscripted thoughts about the detection of gravitational waves by direct observation by LIGO.  We briefly discuss some aspects of Einstein's The...

Episode 3.4.1: Supplemental-Native North American Astronomy

07 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at the narratives, sites and artifacts of the native North Americans in their practice of religion and astronomy.  We look at the t...

Episode 3.4: Wanderers

31 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the motions of the planets in the night sky and some of the cultural associations that go with them.  Observations such as retrograde...

Episode 3.3.1: Supplemental-Ancient Chinese Astronomy

24 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we discuss the astronomy of the early dynastic period of China including the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties.  Specific attention is pa...

Episode 3.3: Sun Cycles

17 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

An examination of the motion of the Sun through the sky.  We discuss the use of gnomons to make measurements and the Sun's path through the Zodiac on...

Episode 3.2.1: Supplemental-Ancient Egyptian Astronomy

10 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This episode focuses on the practice of ancient Egyptian astronomy and its relationship to the culture's religion and agriculture.  Particular attent...

Episode 3.2: Moon Motions

03 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we consider observations of the moon and the role it has in keeping time and representing resurrection in the heavens.  Defined are b...

Episode 3.1: Looking Up

27 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a guided tour of the night sky looking in each of the cardinal directions.  East or orient for rising, West or occident for setting, ...

Episode 3.0: Beyond the Horizon

25 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In the introductory episode of our new season, we lay out the course for our next journey into the realm of cosmology.  We will begin with the by con...

Episode 2.28: Digression-Metallurgy

20 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we talk about the history of metallurgy from the paleolithic to contemporary times including the use of copper, the development of br...

Episode 2.25.8: Supplemental-The World's Most Interesting Physicist-Superfluidity

16 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this last episode on Richard Feynman, we cover his work in condensed matter physics on superfluidity and superconductivity, the development of V-A ...

Episode 2.25.7: Supplemental-The World's Most Interesting Physicist, Summing Over Many Paths

08 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this continuation of our biography of the life and scientific work of Richard Feynman, we look at the work for which he would win his Nobel prize. ...

Episode 2.25.6: Supplemental-The World's Most Interesting Physicist, On The Mesa

29 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A continuation of the biography of Richard Feynman covering his time with the Manhattan Project.

Episode 2.25.5: Supplemental-The World's Most Interesting Physicist, Getting Schooled

22 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A continuation of the biography of American physicist Richard Feynman through his years in higher education at MIT and Princeton.

Episode 2.25.4: Supplemental-The World's Most Interesting Physicist, From Far Rockaway to Least Action

15 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The first part of a biography of American physicist, Richard Feynman.

Episode 2.27: Philosophical Epilogue, Part #2-Instrumentalism

08 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion the positivist positions of the equivalentists and the energetists as represented in the ideas and writings of Marcellin Bertholot, Ernst...

Episode 2.26: Philosophical Epilogue, Part #1-Positivism

01 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of epistemology in the philosophy of science.  Topics include scientific realism, idealism, phenomenalism, representationalism and posit...

Episode 2.25.3: Supplemental-The Bohr-Einstein Debate, Entanglement

25 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we continue to look at the Bohr-Einstein Debate beginning with the light box thought experiment, moving to the EPR paper and then to ...

Episode 2.25.2: Supplemental-The Bohr-Einstein Debate, The Road to Brussels

15 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In episode we discuss the meeting of Einstein and Bohr and the initiation of the Bohr-Einstein debate at the 1927 Third Solvay Conference. 

Episode 2.25.1: Supplemental-Erwin Schrodinger and the World's Most Famous Cat

10 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the life and scientific work of Erwin Schrodinger.  Specific attention is paid to the "gedankenexperiment" known as "Schrodinger's Ca...

Episode 2.25: Putting the Puzzle Together

02 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the creation of the Standard Model including the work of Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam and Steven Weinberg.

Episode 2.24: Through the Looking Glass Darkly

17 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the process of beta decay, the Fermi Interaction and the work of Lee and Yang, Wu and Leon Lederman.

Episode 2.23: The Force is Strong in this One

03 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we follow the development of the strong force from Yukawa through to the work of Murray Gell-Mann and Georg Zweig and the first quark...

Episode 2.22: Renormalization

27 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the development fo renomalization to save quantum field theory from the problem of the various infinties that arise in it.  Particula...

Episode 2.21: A New Era

20 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the physics of creating a self-sustaining fission reaction and building the first atomic weapon.

Episode 2.20.2: Supplemental-Enrico Fermi, The Pope in America

10 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Part #2 of the biography of Enrico Fermi tracing his work on developing nuclear energy technologies.

Episode 2.20.1: Supplemental-Enrico Fermi, The Pope in Italy

03 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Part one of a biographical sketch of Italian physicist Enrico Fermi.  The episode discussed Fermi's childhood, education and Nobel Prize winning work...

Episode 2.20: Of Fascism and Fission

26 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the developments in nuclear physics that led to the discovery of fission.  These include Francis Aston's development of the mass spec...

Episode 2.19: Into the Nucleus

19 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of both the theoretical and experimental work of Enrico Fermi in the field of nuclear physics.  Additional material on the invention of ...

Episode 2.18: Of Fields and Particles

12 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we discuss the development of the first quantum field theories including quantum electrodynamics for the electromagnetic interaction, ...

Episode 2.17.2: Supplemental-Paul Dirac, The Magician

04 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Part Two of the scientific biography of Paul Dirac.  This includes a discussion of the development of the Dirac Equation, work in quantum field theor...

Episode 2.17.1: Supplemental-Paul Dirac, The Mathematician

26 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take a look at the early life and education of engineer, mathematician and physicist Paul Dirac.

Episode 2.17: Of Matter and Anti-Matter

14 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the work of Paul Dirac to produce the relativistic wave equationand the discovery of anti-matter as he theorized by Carl David Anderso...

Episode 2.16.5: Supplemental-Heisenberg-Conflict, Accommodation and Rehabilitation

07 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The final part of a three episode biography of Werner Heisenberg.  In this podcast, I focus on the life and work of the Nobel Prize winner from the t...

Episode 2.16.4: Supplemental-The Copenhagen Interpretation

19 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A clear setting out of the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Theory and a discussion of some of the philosphical issues it brings forward.

Episode 2.16.3: Supplemental-Heisenberg-The Revolutionary

15 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of Werner Heisenberg's amazingly productive period of work from 1920 to 1932.

Episode 2.16.2: Supplemental-Heisenberg-The Pathfinder

04 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the early life of Werner Heisenberg.

Episode 2.16.1: Supplemental-The Scourge of God

25 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A biographical sketch of the life and work of Wolfgang Pauli

Episode 2.16: The Mathematical Atom-Part #2

13 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We begin with the wave mechanics approach of Erwin Schrodinger and work through the Fifth Solvay Conference held in October of 1927.

Episode 2.15: The Mathematical Atom: Part #1

05 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we address the crisis in atomic physics, the work of Louis de Broglie and the matrix mechanics of Werner Heisenberg.

Episode 2.14: Beyond Bohr

29 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we discuss the contributions of Gilbert Newton Lewis, Irvine Langmuir and Arnold Sommerfeld and push the Bohr Model of the Atom to th...

Episode 2.13.1: Supplemental-Niels Bohr

23 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the life and influence of Niels Bohr.

Episode 2.13: The Quantum Atom

15 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we look at the development of a theoretical model of electron behavior for Rutherford's nuclear model of the atom by Niels Bohr.  We...

Episode 2.12.2: Supplemental-Ernest Rutherford, After the Great War

08 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A look at the life of Ernest Rutherford after the Great War, including the first transmutation of an element, the discovery of the neutron and the spl...

Episode 2.12.1: Supplemental-Ernest Rutherford and the Birth of Nuclear Physics

01 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A biographical sketch of the life of Ernest Rutherford from his birth in New Zealand to the outbreak of the Great War.

Episode 2.12: The Divided Atom, Part #3-New Models

22 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we develop the atomic models of Hantaro Nagaoka (Saturnian Model), J.J. Thomson (Plum Pudding Model) and Ernest Rutherford (Nuclear M...

Episode 2.11.1: Supplemental-Marie Sklodowska Curie

15 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this supplemental episode we cover the life of Marie Curie.

Episode 2.11: The Divided Atom, Part #2-Radioactivity

08 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, the work of first Rontgen and Becquerel is discussed followed by the discoveries of the Curies and Ernest Rutherford.

Episode 2.10: The Divided Atom, Part #1-JJ Thomson and the Discovery of the Electron

01 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This episode begins a multipart series discussing the discoveries at the turn of the 20th century that led to the downfall of Dalton's atom and a new ...

Episode 2.9: The Physical Atom

25 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In parallel with the chemical research being done to provide support for an atomic theory of matter, there was also work being done in the discipline ...

Episode 2.8: The Electrical Atom

18 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, developments in electrochemistry by Berzelius, Faraday, Arrhenius, Oswald, van't Hoft and Werner are discussed.

Episode 2.7: The Periodic Atom

12 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of the development of the periodic table beginning with Prout's protyle and ending with Mendeleev.  Much of the material for this episod...

Episode 2.6.1: Supplemental-John Dalton and the Renaissance of the Atom

04 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This episode discusses the life and contributions of John Dalton with particular focus on his development of the Billard Ball model of the atom.

Episode 2.6: The Chemical Atom

28 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Reflections on chemistry by Michel Eugene Chevreul on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

Episode 2.5.1: Supplemental-We Three Chemists of the Enlightenment Are

25 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion of Carl Scheele, Joseph Priestly, Antoine Lavoisier and the discovery of oxygen.

Episode 2.5: The First Chemical Revolution

22 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

An examination of the work in pneumatic chemistry from Black to Lavoisier that established chemistry as an fully experimental science.  A discussion ...

Episode 2.4: The Corpuscular Atom

14 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

From Bruno to Boscovitch, this episode of the podcast suveys the development of the intellectual and experimental lanscape of Renaissance Europe as it...

Episode 2.3.1: Supplemental-Jabir ibn Hayyan and the Foundations of Arabic Chemistry

11 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this supplemental episode we look at the scholarly work of the first of the great Arabic "hakim" and the foundations of developing a scientific met...

Episode 2.3: The Long Leap Forward

08 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we look at how atomism survives 1500 years of opposition and neglect to reemerge after The Great Mortality.

Episode 2.2: The Athenian Response

30 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Here we work through the responses to Democritus' atomism by Plato, Aristotle and Epicurus.

Episode 2.1: The Philosophical Atom

23 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast introduces a new series on the history of the atom and begins the discussion with the ideas of the earliest Greek philosophers beginning ...

Episode 1.5: Misconceptions About Scientific Inquiry

16 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion about some of the misconceptions people have about scientific inquiry and those who pursue it.  Topics include creativity in science, th...