There is a conflict bubbling between professional and amateur historians over directly addressing current social issues when talking about history. On one side, people who enjoy hearing about topics like the ins and outs of the Roman Empire claim that there is an unbiased way to present history, without judgement from the present. On the other side, people who write the stories of these topics claim that it’s important to understand the complexity of the past and that all history is biased. I’m not going to make any pretense toward a both sides argument here. History is biased and political, and everyone needs to know that.
Read MoreTag: History of Science
An Angry History of Science Addendum – The Black Death didn’t cause the Renaissance
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 MoreThe modern obsession with disinfectants
Amid the Coronavirus scramble that has left my local Costco completely bare of hand soap, sanitizing wipes, and tissues, I had the completely irrelevant thought this morning that I haven’t washed my hair in weeks. I’ve done plenty to care for my hair – cowash, conditioner, combing, rinsing – but I haven’t used shampoo in an effort to bring my deflating curls back to life. This may sound gross or weird initially, but as the many curl support groups are fond of explaining, I’m just allowing my natural oils to coat my hair again, while only removing dirt and buildup. As disconnected as these two phenomena are, they have a common cause: since the early 20th century, we have been obsessed with disinfectants.
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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 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 