The Man Who Brought Geometry to the World

The Man Who Brought Geometry to the World Much of our modern science, and astronomy in particular, has roots in the ancient world. In particular, the Greek philosophers studied the cosmos and tried to use the language of mathematics to explain everything. The Greek philosopher Thales was one such man. He was born around 624 BCE, and while some believe his lineage was Phoenician, most consider him to be Milesian (Miletus was in Asia Minor, now modern Turkey) and he came from a distinguished family. It is difficult to write about Thales, since none of his own writing survives. He was known to be a prolific writer, but as with so many documents from the ancient world, his vanished through the ages. He is mentioned in other peoples works  and seems to have been quite well-known for his time among fellow philsophers and writers. Thales was an engineer, scientist, mathematician, and a philosopher interested in nature. He may have been the teacher of Anaximander (611 BC - 545 BCE), another philosopher. Some researchers think Thales wrote a book on navigation, but there is little evidence of such a tome. In fact, if he wrote any works at all, they did not even survive until the time of Aristotle (384 BCE- 322 BCE). Even though the existence of his book is debatable, it turns out that Thales probably did define the constellation Ursa Minor. Seven Sages Despite the fact that much of what is known about Thales is mostly hearsay, he was definitely well-respected in ancient Greece. He was  the only philosopher before Socrates to be counted among the Seven Sages. These were  philosophers in the 6th century BCE who were  statesmen and law-givers, and in Thaless case, a natural philosopher (scientist).   There are reports that Thales predicted an eclipse of the Sun in 585 BCE. While the 19-year cycle for lunar eclipses was well known by this time, solar eclipses were harder to predict, since they were visible from different locations on Earth and people were not aware of the orbital motions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth that contributed to solar eclipses. Most likely, if he did make such a prediction, it was a lucky guess based on experience saying that another eclipse was due. After the eclipse on 28 May, 585 BCE, Herodotus wrote, Day was all of a sudden changed into night. This event had been foretold by Thales, the Milesian, who forewarned the Ionians of it, fixing for it the very year in which it took place. The Medes and Lydians, when they observed the change, ceased fighting, and were alike anxious to have terms of peace agreed on. Impressive, but Human Thales is often credited with some impressive work with geometry. It is said he determined the heights of pyramids by measuring their shadows and could deduce the distances of ships from a vantage point onshore. How much of our knowledge of Thales is accurate is anyones guess. Most of what we know is due to Aristotle who wrote in his Metaphysics: Thales of Miletus taught that all things are water. Apparently Thales believed the Earth floated in water and everything came from water. Like the absent-minded professor stereotype still popular today, Thales has been described in both glowing and derogatory tales. One story, told by Aristotle, says Thales used his skills to predict that the next seasons olive crop would be bountiful. He then purchased all the olive presses and made a fortune when the prediction came true. Plato, on the other hand, told a story of how one night Thales was gazing at the sky as he walked and fell into a ditch. There was a pretty servant girl nearby who came to his rescue, who then said to him How do you expect to understand what is going on up in the sky if you do not even see what is at your feet? Thales died about 547 BCE in in his home of Miletus. Edited and updated by  Carolyn Collins Petersen.

How to Study Shakespeares Sonnet 73

How to Study Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73 is the third of four poems concerned with aging (Sonnets 71-74). It is also hailed as one of his most beautiful sonnets. The speaker in the poem suggests that his lover will love him more, the older he gets because his physical aging will remind him that he will die soon. Alternatively, he could be saying that if his lover can appreciate and love him in his decrepit state then his love must be enduring and strong. You can read the full text to Sonnet 73 in our collection of Shakespeare’s sonnets. The Facts Sequence: Sonnet 73 is part of the Fair Youth SonnetsKey Themes: Ageing, mortality, enduring love, forthcoming death inspiring stronger love, seasons of lifeStyle: Sonnet 73 is written in iambic pentameter and follows the traditional sonnet form A Translation The poet addresses his lover and acknowledges that he is in the Autumn or Winter of his life and that he knows his lover can see that. He compares himself to a tree in the Autumn or Winter: â€Å"Upon those boughs which shake against the cold.† He explains that the sun (or life) in him is fading and night (or death) is taking over - he is aging. However, he knows his lover still sees a fire in him but suggests that it will go out or that he will be consumed by it. He knows his lover sees him getting older but believes it makes his love stronger because he knows that he will die soon so will appreciate him while he is there. Analysis The sonnet is somewhat tragic in tone because it is based on wishful thinking: as I get older, I will be loved more. However, it could be saying that even though the lover can perceive his aging, he loves him regardless. The tree metaphor works beautifully in this case. It is evocative of the seasons and relates to the different stages of life. This is reminiscent of the â€Å"All the world’s a stage† speech from As You Like It. In Sonnet 18 the fair youth is famously compared to a summer’s day – we know then that he is younger and more vibrant than the poet and that this concerns him. Sonnet 73 contains many of the reoccurring themes in Shakespeare’s work concerning the effects of time and age on physical and mental wellbeing. The poem could also be compared to Sonnet 55 where monuments are â€Å"besmeared by sluttish time†. The metaphors and imagery are pungent in this evocative example of Shakespeare’s mastery.