I got irrationally angry today when I read this New Yorker article. It should be obvious by now that I have very strong opinions about history in general and certain topics in particular, one being the Black Death. And so when large publications make claims about the Black Death that I find … problematic … I react strongly. My exact words to the person who sent me this article were “I despise what they wrote”. So, I’m here on my personal soapbox to shout into the void that the Black Death didn’t cause the Renaissance and this kind of silver lining thinking is misguided.
Read MoreTag: An Angry History of Science
An Angry History of Science Part 5: Alchemy isn’t just transmutation
In this series, I’m talking about big issues in how we think about our scientific past. This week I’m dealing with the thin line we drew between alchemy and chemistry. Read the first post in this series, on ancient Greece and math. Read the second post, on the Scientific Revolution. Read the third post, on astronomy and astrology. Read the fourth post, on infectious disease. Read More
An Angry History of Science Part 4: Diseases are about people, not microbes
In this series, I’m talking about big issues in how we think about our scientific past. This week I’m dealing with the specter of epidemic disease. Read the first post in this series, on ancient Greece and math. Read the second post, on the Scientific Revolution. Read the third post, on astronomy and astrology. Read More
An Angry History of Science Part 3: Astrology isn’t all horoscopes
In this series, I’m talking about big issues in how we think about our scientific past. This week I get into more detail about how astronomy broke away from astrology. Read the first post in this series, on ancient Greece and math. Read the second post, on the Scientific Revolution. Read More
An Angry History of Science Part 2: The Scientific Revolution didn’t trash Catholicism
In this series, I’m talking about big issues in how we think about our scientific past. This week I get into more detail about what the Scientific Revolution did and didn’t do. Read the first post in this series, on ancient Greece and math. Read More
An Angry History of Science, Part 1: The Greeks didn’t invent science and all we got was their lousy math
A friend recently asked me how to explain to a group of normal, reasonable people that the ancient Greeks didn’t invent science Read More
Robin Writes 