In the previous entry of this series, we examined the profession of the English navigator Sir Robert Dudley (1574–1649). This concluded with a discussion of the scientific instruments he bequeathed, which are now housed in the Museo Galileo in Florence. These instruments originated from multiple different makers, and today I will focus on one not […]

On August 31, the New York Times released an opinion editorial entitled “Historians Observe Autocratic Playbook in Trump’s Assaults on Science” by William J. Broad. The piece draws connections between Trump’s supposed antagonism towards science and comparable behaviors exhibited by authoritarian figures throughout history, with a particular emphasis on the Catholic Church’s repression of scientific […]

René Descartes is frequently recognized for his impact on philosophy, especially as the “father of modern philosophy,” but his influence penetrates deeply into the sciences, notably mathematics, optics, physics, and astronomy. Descartes’ engagement with these fields uncovers a sophisticated relationship between his philosophical ideas and scientific explorations. Although primarily acknowledged for his philosophical input, Descartes […]

Back in 2020, I penned a very favorable review of Benjamin Wardhaugh’s intricate work, The Book of Wonder: The Many Lives of Euclid’s Elements. This prompted me to also compose a positive critique of Reading Mathematics in Early Modern Europe, to which Wardhaugh contributed and edited. Subsequently, I wrote a brief blog entry about the […]

In a insightful remark by biology historian John Wilkins, the dialogue surrounding the interaction between science and religion adopts a more intricate viewpoint. Wilkins articulately proposes that the assumed conflict existing between science and religion is a fallacy. His claim rests on the notion that neither science nor religion can be viewed as singular, homogenous […]

In the seventeenth century, the evolution of natural philosophy was greatly supported by the progress of mathematical fields surpassing the supremacy of Euclidean geometry. Medieval universities provided minimal mathematical instruction, concentrating on basic texts and frequently not advancing beyond the fundamentals of Euclid’s “Elements.” Nonetheless, by the seventeenth century, novel mathematical realms such as algebra, […]

In his publication, “The History of the Barometer” (The Johns Hopkins Press, 1964), W. E. Knowles Middleton elaborates on the relationship between Isaac Beeckman (1588–1637) and René Descartes (1596–1650), indicating that their association ultimately resulted in a dispute. Middleton characterizes Descartes as a thinker whose notions regarding physics have mostly been proven erroneous, a stern […]

This article stands as a contemplation on a prior social media reply concerning Jim Al-Khalili’s work, “The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance.” Al-Khalili, a notable broadcaster celebrated for his capacity to convey contemporary science to the general public, appears to lack authority in the realm of […]

Some time ago, I authored a piece about [the engraver and instrument creator Augustine Ryther (fl. 1576–1593)](https://thonyc.wordpress.com/2025/02/26/an-engraver-and-instrument-maker-who-founded-a-dynasty/), who initiated a lineage of instrument artisans within the Worshipful Company of Grocers. More recently, I discussed [the navigator and maritime atlas writer Sir Robert Dudley (1574–1649)](https://thonyc.wordpress.com/2025/07/23/the-english-aristocratic-bastard-who-advised-the-florentines-on-matters-nautical-and-published-the-first-maritime-atlas-by-an-english-author/), who, after dedicating many years to the Republic of Florence as […]

When Isaac Beeckman (1588–1637) was familiarizing the young René Descartes with mathematical physics in Breda in 1618, he assigned him exercises to aid in developing his proficiency in this emerging field. One such exercise involved deriving the hydrostatic paradox, which was first introduced by Simon Stevin (1548–1620) in his De Beghinselen des Waterwichts (Principles on […]