Circumference: Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe
"Nicholas Nicastro brings to life one of history's greatest experiments - how the ancient Greek named Eratosthenes accurately determined the distance around the earth for the first time. In this narrative history, Nicastro takes a look at a deceptively simple but stunning achievement made...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York
St. Martin's Press
2008
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Contributor biographical information Publisher description |
| Summary: | "Nicholas Nicastro brings to life one of history's greatest experiments - how the ancient Greek named Eratosthenes accurately determined the distance around the earth for the first time. In this narrative history, Nicastro takes a look at a deceptively simple but stunning achievement made by single individual millennia ago, with only the simplest of materials at his disposal. How was he able to calculate the circumference of our planet at a time when the measure of distance was more a matter of a shrug and a guess? How could he be so confident in two key assumptions that underlay his calculations: that the earth was round and the sun so far away that its rays struck the ground in parallel lines? Was it luck or pure scientific genius?" "Nicastro brings readers on a trip into a long-vanished world that prefigured modernity in many ways, where neither Eratosthenes' reputation, nor the validity of his method, nor his leadership of the Great Library of Alexandria were enough to convince all his contemporaries about the dimensions of the earth. Eratosthenes' results were debated for centuries until he was ultimately vindicated almost 2000 years later, during the great voyages of exploration." ""Circumference" is a scientific detective story that transports readers back to a time when humans had no idea how big their world was - and the fate of a man who dared to measure what was thought to be immeasurable."--BOOK JACKET. |
| Item Description: | Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Physical Description: | Xi, 223 S. |
| ISBN: | 9780312372477 0312372477 |
Staff View
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| geographic | Earth Figure Measurement |
| geographic_facet | Earth Figure Measurement |
| id | DE-604.BV035241987 |
| illustrated | Not Illustrated |
| indexdate | 2024-12-30T09:00:20Z |
| institution | BVB |
| isbn | 9780312372477 0312372477 |
| language | English |
| lccn | 2008025773 |
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| oclc_num | 223884798 |
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| owner | DE-12 |
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| physical | Xi, 223 S. |
| psigel | gbd_4_0904 |
| publishDate | 2008 |
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| publisher | St. Martin's Press |
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| spelling | Nicastro, Nicholas 1963- Verfasser (DE-588)1352353334 aut Circumference Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe Nicholas Nicastro New York St. Martin's Press 2008 Xi, 223 S. txt rdacontent n rdamedia nc rdacarrier Includes bibliographical references and index "Nicholas Nicastro brings to life one of history's greatest experiments - how the ancient Greek named Eratosthenes accurately determined the distance around the earth for the first time. In this narrative history, Nicastro takes a look at a deceptively simple but stunning achievement made by single individual millennia ago, with only the simplest of materials at his disposal. How was he able to calculate the circumference of our planet at a time when the measure of distance was more a matter of a shrug and a guess? How could he be so confident in two key assumptions that underlay his calculations: that the earth was round and the sun so far away that its rays struck the ground in parallel lines? Was it luck or pure scientific genius?" "Nicastro brings readers on a trip into a long-vanished world that prefigured modernity in many ways, where neither Eratosthenes' reputation, nor the validity of his method, nor his leadership of the Great Library of Alexandria were enough to convince all his contemporaries about the dimensions of the earth. Eratosthenes' results were debated for centuries until he was ultimately vindicated almost 2000 years later, during the great voyages of exploration." ""Circumference" is a scientific detective story that transports readers back to a time when humans had no idea how big their world was - and the fate of a man who dared to measure what was thought to be immeasurable."--BOOK JACKET. Eratosthenes Eratosthenes ca. v276/273-194 (DE-588)118530674 gnd rswk-swf Arc measures Weights and measures, Ancient Mathematics, Greek Erdumfang (DE-588)4276314-9 gnd rswk-swf Vermessung (DE-588)4063048-1 gnd rswk-swf Earth Figure Measurement Eratosthenes Cyrenaeus TLG 0222 (FGrHist 241) (DE-2581)TH000001091 gbd Geographie (DE-2581)TH000007602 gbd Eratosthenes ca. v276/273-194 (DE-588)118530674 p Erdumfang (DE-588)4276314-9 s Vermessung (DE-588)4063048-1 s DE-604 http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0838/2008025773-b.html Contributor biographical information http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0838/2008025773-d.html Publisher description |
| spellingShingle | Nicastro, Nicholas 1963- Circumference Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe Eratosthenes Eratosthenes ca. v276/273-194 (DE-588)118530674 gnd Arc measures Weights and measures, Ancient Mathematics, Greek Erdumfang (DE-588)4276314-9 gnd Vermessung (DE-588)4063048-1 gnd |
| subject_GND | (DE-588)118530674 (DE-588)4276314-9 (DE-588)4063048-1 |
| title | Circumference Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe |
| title_auth | Circumference Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe |
| title_exact_search | Circumference Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe |
| title_full | Circumference Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe Nicholas Nicastro |
| title_fullStr | Circumference Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe Nicholas Nicastro |
| title_full_unstemmed | Circumference Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe Nicholas Nicastro |
| title_short | Circumference |
| title_sort | circumference eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe |
| title_sub | Eratosthenes and the ancient quest to measure the globe |
| topic | Eratosthenes Eratosthenes ca. v276/273-194 (DE-588)118530674 gnd Arc measures Weights and measures, Ancient Mathematics, Greek Erdumfang (DE-588)4276314-9 gnd Vermessung (DE-588)4063048-1 gnd |
| topic_facet | Eratosthenes Eratosthenes ca. v276/273-194 Arc measures Weights and measures, Ancient Mathematics, Greek Erdumfang Vermessung Earth Figure Measurement |
| url | http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0838/2008025773-b.html http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0838/2008025773-d.html |
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