Tag Archives: tech-history

More on Agora and Hypatia

Posted on September 28, 2010 by jlredford

The movie Agora mentioned in the previous post got me interested in the actual Hypatia, so I picked up “Hypatia of Alexandria, Mathematician and Martyr” by Michael B. Deakin (2007). It discusses the little that is actually known about her, … Continue reading →

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The Population of Space

Posted on September 7, 2010 by jlredford

The SF writer Charlie Stross recently wrote on his blog about the absurdity of self-sufficient space colonies (“Insufficient Data”).  He noted that it takes an extraordinary number of people to maintain a technological civilization, because even the most common artifacts … Continue reading →

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The Dangerous Isaac Newton

Posted on August 14, 2010 by jlredford

Here’s an image – the world’s greatest scientist is in a grubby London dive, talking to lowlifes.   Candles flicker on the table between them, and the air is close and foul.  He’s interrogating them closely, sometimes smiling and handing over … Continue reading →

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A Failed High-Tech Gamble

Posted on May 12, 2010 by jlredford

Ten miles north of Boston is the National Historic Site of  the Saugus Iron Works, site of the first heavy industry in the country.   It’s a pretty spot, and a great place for a picnic, which my family took advantage … Continue reading →

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