Voyaging in Strange Seas : The Great Revolution in Science / David Knight.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Knight, David, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--History.

Science.

Discoveries in science--History.

Discoveries in science.

Scientific expeditions--History.

Scientific expeditions.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (372 p.)

Place of Publication:

New Haven, CT : Yale University Press, [2014]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

An ambitious, landmark history of the Scientific Revolution, from the age of Columbus to the age of Cook 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 engaging book takes us along on the great voyage of discovery that ushered in the modern age. David Knight, a distinguished 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. Knight looks at a striking 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. Populated with interesting characters, enriched with fascinating anecdotes, and built upon an acute understanding of the era, this book tells a story as thrilling as any in human history.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

1. Voyaging in Strange Seas

2. The Deep Roots of Modern Science

3. Refining Common Sense: The New Philosophy

4. Looking Up to Heaven: Mathematics and Telescopes

5. Interrogating Nature: The Use of Experiment

6. Through Nature to Nature's God: The Two Books

7. Sharing the Vision: Scientific Societies

8. Life Is Short, Science Long: The Healing Art

9. Making Things Better: Practical Science

10. The Ladder of Creation: The Rise of Natural History

11. A Global Perspective: Exploring and Measuring

12. Enlightenment: Leisure, Electricity and Chemistry

13. Revolution, Evolution: How, Then, Did Science Grow?

Notes

Further Reading

Illustration Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Index

Notes:

Includes index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 29. Feb 2020)

ISBN:

0-300-20618-6

OCLC:

878149164