Conversations with Tyler24 Feb 2021

Patricia Fara on Newton, Scientific Progress, and the Benefits of Unhistoric Acts

Patricia Fara is a historian of science at Cambridge University and well-known for her writings on women in science. Her forthcoming book, Life After Gravity: Isaac Newton's London Career, details the life of the titan of the so-called Scientific Revolution after his famous (though perhaps mythological) discovery under the apple tree. Her work emphasizes science as a long, continuous process composed of incremental contributions–in which women throughout history have taken a crucial part–rather than the sole province of a few monolithic innovators.

Patricia joined Tyler to discuss why Newton left Cambridge to run The Royal Mint, why he was so productive during the Great Plague, why the "Scientific Revolution" should instead be understood as a gradual process, what the Antikythera device tells us about science in the ancient world, the influence of Erasmus Darwin on his grandson, why more people should know Dorothy Hodgkin, how George Eliot inspired her to commit unhistoric acts, why she opposes any kind of sex-segregated schooling, her early experience in a startup, what modern students of science can learn from studying Renaissance art, the reasons she considers Madame Lavoisier to be the greatest female science illustrator, the unusual work habit brought to her attention by house guests, the book of caricatures she'd like to write next, and more.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video.

Recorded January 15th, 2021

Other ways to connect

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram
Follow Tyler on Twitter
Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu
Subscribe at our newsletter page to have the latest Conversations with Tyler news sent straight to your inbox.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(288)

Noam Chomsky on Language, Left Libertarianism, and Progress

Noam Chomsky joins Tyler to discuss why Noam and Wilhelm von Humboldt have similar views on language and liberty, good and bad evolutionary approaches to language, what he thinks Stephen Wolfram gets ...

14 Juni 202350min

Peter Singer on Utilitarianism, Influence, and Controversial Ideas

Peter Singer is one of the world's most influential living philosophers, whose ideas have motivated millions of people to change how they eat, how they give, and how they interact with each other and ...

7 Juni 202352min

Seth Godin on Marketing, Meaning, and the Bibs We Wear

On good days, Seth Godin thinks about all the progress we're making on climate change. On bad days, he thinks about the problem of racing bibs. Though pieces of paper safety-pinned to runners' chests ...

31 Maj 202354min

Simon Johnson on Banking, Technology, and Prosperity

What's more intense than leading the IMF during a financial crisis? For Simon Johnson, it was co-authoring a book with fellow economist (and past guest) Daron Acemoglu. Written in six months, their bo...

17 Maj 202352min

Kevin Kelly on Advice, Travel, and Tech

As the founding executive editor of Wired magazine and the author of several acclaimed books on technology and culture, Kevin Kelly has long been known for his visionary ideas and insights. But his la...

3 Maj 202351min

Anna Keay on Historic Architecture, Monarchy, and 17th Century Britain

Anna Keay is a historian who specializes in the cultural heritage of Great Britain. As the director of the Landmark Trust, she has overseen the restoration of numerous historical buildings and monumen...

19 Apr 202349min

Jessica Wade on Chiral Materials, Open Knowledge, and Representation in STEM

Jessica Wade is a physicist at Imperial College London who, while spending her day working on special carbon-based materials that can be used as semiconductors, has spent her nights writing nearly 2,0...

5 Apr 202356min

Jonathan GPT Swift on Jonathan Swift

In this conversation, Tyler uses ChatGPT to interview Jonathan Swift about his views on religion, politics, economics, and literature. GPT Swift discusses his support for the Church of Ireland, his sh...

29 Mars 202341min