Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
Forums
New posts
Forum list
Search forums
Leaderboards
Games
Our Blog
Blogs
New entries
New comments
Blog list
Search blogs
Credits
Transactions
Shop
Blessings: ✟0.00
Tickets
Open new ticket
Watched
Donate
Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
More options
Toggle width
Share this page
Share this page
Share
Reddit
Pinterest
Tumblr
WhatsApp
Email
Share
Link
Menu
Install the app
Install
Forums
Discussion and Debate
Discussion and Debate
Physical & Life Sciences
Carl Sagan - The Pioneers of Science...
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Agonaces of Susa" data-source="post: 57301453" data-attributes="member: 253233"><p>Are you skeptical that Socrates and Alexander the Great possessed telescopes and went SCUBA diving? Really?</p><p></p><p>"... sight is made precise by the compass, rule, and telescope." -- Iamblichus, philosopher, Life of Pythagoras, 3rd century</p><p></p><p>Bacon, R., <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=xPZp6m2dSMcC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">The Non-Existence of Magic</a>, ~1265-1278<p style="margin-left: 20px">IV. On Wonderful Artificial Instruments</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">I will first tell of the wonderful works of art and nature, that I may afterwards assign the causes and manner of them, in which there is nothing magical, that it may be seen that all magic power is inferior to these works, and worthless. And first for the quality and reason of art alone. For instruments of navigation can be made without men as rowers, so that the largest ships, river and ocean, may be borne on, with the guidance of one man, with greater speed than if full of men. A<strong>lso carriages can be made so that without an animal they may be moved with incalculable speed; as we may assume the scythed chariots to have been, with which battles were fought in ancient times</strong>. Also instruments for flying can be made so that a man may sit in the middle of the instrument, revolving some contrivance by which wings artificially constructed may beat the air, in the manner of a bird flying. <strong>Also instruments can also be made for walking in the sea or rivers, down to the bottom, without bodily peril. For Alexander the Great used these that he might view the secrets of the ocean, according to what Ethicus the astronomer narrates. These things were done in ancient times, and done in our own, as is certain, unless it may be the instrument for flying, which I have not seen, nor do I know any man who has seen; but I know that the wise man who planned this device completed it. And such things can be made almost infinitely, as bridges across rivers without pillars or any other support, and machines, and unheard of devices</strong>.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">V. Of Experiments in Artificial Sight</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">... Glasses can be so constructed that things placed very far off may appear very near, and vice versa; so that from an incredible distance we may read the minutest letters, and number things however little, <strong>and make the stars appear where we will</strong>. <strong>For this it is believed that Julius Caesar, on the shore of the sea in Gaul, discovered through huge glasses the disposition and sites of the castles and towns of Great Britain</strong>.</p><p>Sines, G., and Sakellarakis, Y.A., <a href="http://www.jstor.org/pss/505216" target="_blank">Lenses in Antiquity</a>, American Journal of Archaeology, Volume 91, Number 2, Pages 191-196, Apr 1987<p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>A recent find in the Idaean Cave in Crete of two rock crystal lenses of unusually good optical quality led to this investigation of other lenses from antiquity. The evidence indicates that the use of lenses was widespread throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin over several millennia</strong>. The quality of some of these lenses was sufficient to permit their use as magnifying glasses. The use of lenses as burning glasses in Classical Greece is noted, as is the need for magnifying lenses to authenticate seal impressions. The probability that magnifying lenses were used by gem carvers and seal engravers is discussed. The fine detail of Roman gold-glass portrait medallions and the discovery of a lens in the house of an engraver in Pompeii and another in the house of an artist in Tanis are presented as evidence for the use of the lenses for magnifying purposes. <strong>Methods of producing optical quality lenses by simple procedures are also presented</strong>.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Agonaces of Susa, post: 57301453, member: 253233"] Are you skeptical that Socrates and Alexander the Great possessed telescopes and went SCUBA diving? Really? "... sight is made precise by the compass, rule, and telescope." -- Iamblichus, philosopher, Life of Pythagoras, 3rd century Bacon, R., [URL="http://books.google.com/books?id=xPZp6m2dSMcC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false"]The Non-Existence of Magic[/URL], ~1265-1278[INDENT]IV. On Wonderful Artificial Instruments I will first tell of the wonderful works of art and nature, that I may afterwards assign the causes and manner of them, in which there is nothing magical, that it may be seen that all magic power is inferior to these works, and worthless. And first for the quality and reason of art alone. For instruments of navigation can be made without men as rowers, so that the largest ships, river and ocean, may be borne on, with the guidance of one man, with greater speed than if full of men. A[B]lso carriages can be made so that without an animal they may be moved with incalculable speed; as we may assume the scythed chariots to have been, with which battles were fought in ancient times[/B]. Also instruments for flying can be made so that a man may sit in the middle of the instrument, revolving some contrivance by which wings artificially constructed may beat the air, in the manner of a bird flying. [B]Also instruments can also be made for walking in the sea or rivers, down to the bottom, without bodily peril. For Alexander the Great used these that he might view the secrets of the ocean, according to what Ethicus the astronomer narrates. These things were done in ancient times, and done in our own, as is certain, unless it may be the instrument for flying, which I have not seen, nor do I know any man who has seen; but I know that the wise man who planned this device completed it. And such things can be made almost infinitely, as bridges across rivers without pillars or any other support, and machines, and unheard of devices[/B]. V. Of Experiments in Artificial Sight ... Glasses can be so constructed that things placed very far off may appear very near, and vice versa; so that from an incredible distance we may read the minutest letters, and number things however little, [B]and make the stars appear where we will[/B]. [B]For this it is believed that Julius Caesar, on the shore of the sea in Gaul, discovered through huge glasses the disposition and sites of the castles and towns of Great Britain[/B].[/INDENT]Sines, G., and Sakellarakis, Y.A., [URL="http://www.jstor.org/pss/505216"]Lenses in Antiquity[/URL], American Journal of Archaeology, Volume 91, Number 2, Pages 191-196, Apr 1987[INDENT][B]A recent find in the Idaean Cave in Crete of two rock crystal lenses of unusually good optical quality led to this investigation of other lenses from antiquity. The evidence indicates that the use of lenses was widespread throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin over several millennia[/B]. The quality of some of these lenses was sufficient to permit their use as magnifying glasses. The use of lenses as burning glasses in Classical Greece is noted, as is the need for magnifying lenses to authenticate seal impressions. The probability that magnifying lenses were used by gem carvers and seal engravers is discussed. The fine detail of Roman gold-glass portrait medallions and the discovery of a lens in the house of an engraver in Pompeii and another in the house of an artist in Tanis are presented as evidence for the use of the lenses for magnifying purposes. [B]Methods of producing optical quality lenses by simple procedures are also presented[/B].[/INDENT] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Discussion and Debate
Discussion and Debate
Physical & Life Sciences
Carl Sagan - The Pioneers of Science...
Top
Bottom