The History Book Club discussion
HEALTH- MEDICINE - SCIENCE
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CHAT ROOM - CALLING ALL SCIENTISTS
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I am a statistician and I consult with lots of scientists
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I hope other folks join us. Let us know who out there is connected with any of the sciences.
Hello, I am a scientist! I am a biochemist. The best field of course :)
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Radiologist here! Background in biological engineering prior to medical school.
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And B. Lynwood welcome
I'm a retired high school science teacher (Biology, Physics, Environmental Science). I would like to propose a book I just discovered that relates a good bit of European history and the development of the "Dangerous" mathematical theory of infinitesimals.Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World
Synopsis:
On August 10, 1632, five men in flowing black robes convened in a somber Roman palazzo to pass judgment on a deceptively simple proposition: that a continuous line is composed of distinct and infinitely tiny parts. With the stroke of a pen the Jesuit fathers banned the doctrine of infinitesimals, announcing that it could never be taught or even mentioned. The concept was deemed dangerous and subversive, a threat to the belief that the world was an orderly place, governed by a strict and unchanging set of rules. If infinitesimals were ever accepted, the Jesuits feared, the entire world would be plunged into chaos.
In Infinitesimal, the award-winning historian Amir Alexander exposes the deep-seated reasons behind the rulings of the Jesuits and shows how the doctrine persisted, becoming the foundation of calculus and much of modern mathematics and technology. Indeed, not everyone agreed with the Jesuits. Philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians across Europe embraced infinitesimals as the key to scientific progress, freedom of thought, and a more tolerant society. As Alexander reveals, it wasn't long before the two camps set off on a war that pitted Europe's forces of hierarchy and order against those of pluralism and change.
The story takes us from the bloody battlefields of Europe's religious wars and the English Civil War and into the lives of the greatest mathematicians and philosophers of the day, including Galileo and Isaac Newton, Cardinal Bellarmine and Thomas Hobbes, and Christopher Clavius and John Wallis. In Italy, the defeat of the infinitely small signaled an end to that land's reign as the cultural heart of Europe, and in England, the triumph of infinitesimals helped launch the island nation on a course that would make it the world's first modern state.
From the imperial cities of Germany to the green hills of Surrey, from the papal palace in Rome to the halls of the Royal Society of London, Alexander demonstrates how a disagreement over a mathematical concept became a contest over the heavens and the earth. The legitimacy of popes and kings, as well as our beliefs in human liberty and progressive science, were at stake-the soul of the modern world hinged on the infinitesimal.
Would anyone be interested in reading this as a group?
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Nita - That was a good book!Bentley - what are buddy reads?
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Bentley wrote: "Nita are you offering to lead a buddy read? We would help set up the thread for that if you are interested?"I could do a buddy read, but I will need lots of help from you and others more experienced at this than I am.
Nita wrote: "Bentley wrote: "Nita are you offering to lead a buddy read? We would help set up the thread for that if you are interested?"I could do a buddy read, but I will need lots of help from you and other..."
Nita.....Buddy Reads are fun and you find other members who have the same interests as you have. The moderators are here to assist you through the process and our leader, Bentley, will set it up for you. I think you will like it if you decide to take the plunge!
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Bentley wrote: "That is fine Nita - we will help you."Thank you! One caveat: I have read a few reviews and, apparently, the Kindle edition does not contain all of the illustrations needed to understand the book. I highly suggest the print edition.
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Bentley wrote: "That is fine Nita - we will help you."Ok, I will do the buddy read. Thank you for your help.
Bentley wrote: "If you would like to do it as well Peter - just let us know."The more the merrier!
I'd be very interested in re-reading the book Nita mentioned. I will think about one to do on my own
OK. If Bentley gives me some guidelines, I will be happy to do "Infinitesimals . . ."
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Enjoy.
Bentley