The Ancient Cosmos – When the Earth Stood Still

December 23, 2018

First Aired: March 13, 2016

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Even in ancient Greek society, philosopher-scientists engaged in heated debate about the origin, composition, and structure of our universe. Tracking our understanding of cosmology from then until now shows monumental shifts in thinking. So what did the Ancients think was the fundamental nature of the cosmos, and what kind of evidence did they use to support their theories? How did Copernicus provoke such a radical shift in cosmology? And what should we think about the status of scientific theories if they can be subject to such massive conceptual shifts? John and Ken ponder the cosmos with Carlo Rovelli from Aix-Marseille University, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.

Part of our series A Philosophical Guide to the Cosmos

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Carlo Rovelli, Professor of Physics, Aix-Marseille University

Related Blogs

  • The Ancient Cosmos

    March 10, 2016

Related Resources

 

VIDEO: Carlo Rovelli, Science Is Not About Certainty: A Philosophy of Physics

 

Web Resources

Bogen, James (2014). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Theory and Observation in Science.

Horgan, John (2014). Scientific American.The Philosophy of Guessing Has Harmed Physics, Expert Says.

Rovelli, Carlo (2014).  “Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.

Smolin, Lee (2012). Edge.Science is Not About Certainty: A Philosophy of Physics.

 

Books

Rovelli, Carlo (2016). The First Scientist: Anaximander and His Legacy.

Rovelli, Carlo (2014). Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.

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