April 2012
5 posts
François Viète, the Father of Modern Algebra
The previous installment of the History of Science blog examined the role of Andreas Vesalius as the first modern physician and how he marked the beginning of the Scientific Revolution. François Viète (Latinized as Franciscus Vieta) was a mathematician whose claim to fame arrived fifty years after Vesalius’s instrumental anatomy text. Viète (1540-1603) of Fontenay-le-Comte, France, originally...
Music can change the way we perceive our world.
Music. Each one of us has particular memories associated with that word. Some of us remember our favorite melody while others start playing their favorite song on repeat in their head. We all have certain moods and when we are sad, we play sad music and when we are happy, our music also tends to be happier. Does that make any difference in our perception of the world? Can sad music actually make...
The First Modern Physician: Andreas Vesalius
Although Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) came from a long family line of physicians, he originally intended on studying arts before finally deciding on medicine. Vesalius studied at three different universities before attaining his doctorate in medicine. At the time, the best understanding of human anatomy was based on the work of Galen, a Greek physician. Galen compiled the knowledge of Greek...
News that Will Turn Your World…or Your Star…Inside...
What astronomers see out in space is often a reflection of what might happen in our own corner of the universe. Asteroids collide with one another, stars collapse, etc. Observing these phenomena reveal much about even own space in the galaxy and therefore when the supernova Cassiopeia A occurred, astronomers took notice. What they found was unusual.
When astronomers observed Cassiopeia A, they...
Remarkably Simple Brain Structure
We often talk about the brain as this complex set of nerves and electrical impulses that is the control center of our body. It is so complex, in fact, that our own minds (brains) cannot decipher the human brain’s complexity (quite an irony!). Just recently, a lecture at Rice in the Electrical Engineering Department hosted David Eagleman, a leading neurologist with his lab in Baylor Med. In his...
