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The Complete History of Science
A podcast exploring the history of science from the beginning. We will cover all of the most important scientific discoveries from Archimedes to Newton to Einstein. The aim is to give a complete overview of how science evolved and how it shaped the modern world.
Follow me on BlueSky for updates:
https://bsky.app/profile/gethinrichards.bsky.social
YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@thecompletehistoryofscience
Music credit:Folk Round Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Photo credit: "L0015096EB" by Wellcome Library, London is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Image has been cropped.
Episodes
35 episodes
The Lodestone, the Compass and the Magnetic Earth
In this episode we trace the early development of magnetism and the compass—from ancient Chinese navigation to the groundbreaking insights of medieval and Renaissance Europe. The episode highlights the work of Peter Peregrinus, a 13th-cent...
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Season 7
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Episode 1
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31:48
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Circulation! [William Harvey Part 3]
At the start of the 17th century Harvey finally put all of the pieces in place. He had discovered that blood circulates through the body with the heart acting as a pump. Realising that he was undermining a millenia of Galenism, he s...
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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23:51
Be Still My Beating Heart [William Harvey Part 2]
In 1602, William Harvey joined the College of Physicians to secure his medical career, but behind the scenes, he was conducting bold anatomical research. Through dissections, vivisections, and innovative experiments on blood flow and the ...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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20:57
Aristotle My General, Fabricius My Guide [William Harvey Part 1]
In late 1599, William Harvey, having completed his B.A. at Cambridge, sought further education abroad. His father, a successful businessman, funded his journey to Padua, a renowned center of medical learning. At Padua, Harvey encoun...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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18:47
Realdo Colombo and the Pulmonary Transit of the Blood
Realdo Colombo, a former student and colleague of Vesalius, challenged aspects of Galenic anatomy and made significant strides in understanding blood circulation. Through vivisection, Colombo discovered that blood circulates through the l...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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19:26
The World of Andreas Vesalius [Vesalius Part 1]
The background and early life of the great renaissance anatomist Andreas Vesalius.
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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21:29
On the Revolutions [Copernicus Part 2]
This episode explores the pivotal encounter in Nicolaus Copernicus's later life when he met the young mathematician known as Rheticus. Rheticus, a prodigy from the University of Wittenberg, sought out Copernicus in Frombork, Poland, to learn mo...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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22:20
A More Reasonable Arrangement [Copernicus Part 1]
In this episode we delve into the early life of Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who challenged the geocentric model of the universe. From his upbringing in Torun, Poland, to his academic journey at Jagiellonian University and travels to Bol...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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30:07
The Apogee of Islamic Astronomy
In the late medieval period, while Europe obsessed over Aristotle's natural philosophy, the Islamic world entered the zenith of astronomical discoveries. In this episode, we explore the remarkable contributions of two great astronomers, al-Tusi...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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18:13
Roger Bacon
In this episode we delve into the life and legacy of the enigmatic Roger Bacon. Once considered a magician with fantastical abilities, Bacon's reputation transformed over the centuries, oscillating between mystical figure and scientific pioneer...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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17:03
Medieval Mechanics
Perhaps the greatest orginal contribution to science in the medieval period was initiated at Merton College Oxford. A group of scholars worked to mathematise nature and prove new theorems decribing motion. Meanwhile in Paris, anothe...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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17:53
The University
In the later medieval period, Europe's bustling new cities developed a new type of institution, The University. In this episode we explore the early university and in particular its relationship with Aristotle's natural philosophy, which ...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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15:22
Translatio Studii et Imperii
In the 12th century a young man set out in search of a book. The Almagest, the great work of astronomy had disappeared from western Europe and had long ceased to be read. The young man, Gerard, eventually found the work in Toledo, S...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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15:11
The Poverty of the Latins
Scientific thought was rejuvenated in the 10th century as the Christians in the north came into contact with Islamic culture in Iberia. Gerbert, a monk from Aurillac in Southern France played a key role in this process, introducing to Eur...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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16:07
On the Nature of Things
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, western Europe fractured into many small petty states. A period of economic contraction coincided with a decline in learning and during the early medieval age Europe entered a nadir. However, ...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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17:06
The Scientist and The Philosopher
In the late 10th, early 11th century two great men debated the causes of natural phenomena. One of them was the greatest philosopher of the age, Ibn Sina, who had refined Aristotle's philosophy into a finely honed system. The other,...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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25:59
Islamic Developments in Optics
While al-Haytham's visual theory was a clear triumph, his work also had a more subtle but profound effect. His treatment of light as a quanitity which was related to but independent of vision was an important step on the path to our moder...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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15:56
Islamic Developments in Medicine
Tracing the emergence of medicine in the Islamic world and its embrace of Galen, this week's episode explores the progress made in treatments and anatomy by Islamic scientists.
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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14:50
Al Haytham's Theory of Vision
The Greek Philosophers had long debated the nature of vision, without any definitive conclusion. They were divided, between the belief that it was either a stimulus entering the eye or a visual ray projected from the eye. This debat...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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20:20
The Sun Sets in the West and Rises in the East
Astronomy was king of the sciences in the ancient world, but since the death of Ptolemy progress had all but stalled. Fortunately astronomy was rediscovered by the Arabs, who undertook a huge translation of Greek work into Arabic. T...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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33:28