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The European Southern Observatory Your Talk
The European Southern Observatory Your talk Your name Overview What is astronomy? ESO history What is ESO? La Silla VLT ALMA E-ELT ESO Visitor Centre | 9 October 2013 Why are we here? What is astronomy? And what it all is good for? ESO Visitor Centre | 9 October 2013 What is astronomy? Astronomy is the study of all celestial objects. It is the study of almost every property of the Universe from stars, planets and comets to the largest cosmological structures and phenomena; across the entire electromagnetic spectrum and more. It is the study of all that has been, all there is and all that there ever will be. From the effects of the smallest atoms to the appearance of the Universe on the largest scales. ESO Visitor Centre | 9 October 2013 Astronomy in the ancient world Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences, dating back to antiquity, with its origins in the religious, mythological, and astrological practices of the ancient civilisations. Early astronomy involved observing the regular patterns of the motions of visible celestial objects, especially the Sun, Moon, stars and naked eye observations of the planets. The changing position of the Sun along the horizon or the changing appearances of stars in the course of the year was used to establish agricultural or ritual calendars. ESO Visitor Centre | 9 October 2013 Astronomy in the ancient world Australian Aboriginals belong to the oldest continuous culture in the world, stretching back some 50 000 years… It is said that they were the first astronomers. “Emu in the sky” at Kuringai National Park, Sydney -Circa unknown ESO Visitor Centre | 9 October 2013 Astronomy in the ancient world Goseck Circle Mnajdra Temple Complex c. -
Constellation Creation
Constellation Creation Constellations are fun to identify in the night sky, have helped humans navigate and chart the seasons for thousands of years, are the stuff of great legends and myths, but what can these patterns really tell us about stars? Students create constellation models as a team to find out. Grades Next Generation Science Standards • 5-8 • ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars. The sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because it is closer. Stars range greatly in their distance from Earth. Time • 5-ESS1-1. Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun • Prep 15 min compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from Earth. • 30 min activity plus pre-activity • MS-ESS1-3– Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar class time system. discussion Materials Utah Science 7 copies of Orion and Big Dipper sheet in color, cut in half Standards 12 blue stars, 1 Betelgeuse, 1 Mizar prints in color • 6.1.3 Use computational thinking to analyze data and Cardboard or poster board determine the scale and Glue properties of objects in the solar system. Scissors or razor blade Popsicle sticks Extra copies of the Orion and Big Dipper sheet for your Earth observers Do Ahead • You want to have 7 stars for each constellation that students can hold. Cut out 6 blue stars and one Betelgeuse for Orion, glue onto board, glue Orion constellation on back, attach popsicle stick for holding. • Cut out 6 blue stars and 1 Mizar for the Big Dipper, glue onto board, glue Big Dipper on back, attach popsicle stick for holding. -
Lomonosov, the Discovery of Venus's Atmosphere, and Eighteenth Century Transits of Venus
Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 15(1), 3-14 (2012). LOMONOSOV, THE DISCOVERY OF VENUS'S ATMOSPHERE, AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TRANSITS OF VENUS Jay M. Pasachoff Hopkins Observatory, Williams College, Williamstown, Mass. 01267, USA. E-mail: [email protected] and William Sheehan 2105 SE 6th Avenue, Willmar, Minnesota 56201, USA. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The discovery of Venus's atmosphere has been widely attributed to the Russian academician M.V. Lomonosov from his observations of the 1761 transit of Venus from St. Petersburg. Other observers at the time also made observations that have been ascribed to the effects of the atmosphere of Venus. Though Venus does have an atmosphere one hundred times denser than the Earth’s and refracts sunlight so as to produce an ‘aureole’ around the planet’s disk when it is ingressing and egressing the solar limb, many eighteenth century observers also upheld the doctrine of cosmic pluralism: believing that the planets were inhabited, they had a preconceived bias for believing that the other planets must have atmospheres. A careful re-examination of several of the most important accounts of eighteenth century observers and comparisons with the observations of the nineteenth century and 2004 transits shows that Lomonosov inferred the existence of Venus’s atmosphere from observations related to the ‘black drop’, which has nothing to do with the atmosphere of Venus. Several observers of the eighteenth-century transits, includ- ing Chappe d’Auteroche, Bergman, and Wargentin in 1761 and Wales, Dymond, and Rittenhouse in 1769, may have made bona fide observations of the aureole produced by the atmosphere of Venus. -
The Mandaeans
The Mandaeans A Story of Survival in the Modern World PHOTO: DAVID MAURICE SMITH / OCULI refugees and spoken to immigration officials in Aus- The Mandaeans appear to be one of the most tralian embassies and international NGOs about their misunderstood and vulnerable groups. Apart from being desperate plight. She laments that the conditions in a small community, even fewer than Yazidis, they do which they live are far worse than she could have ever not belong to a large religious organisation or have imagined, and she fears they may have been forgotten links with powerful tribes that can protect them, so by the international community overwhelmed by the their vulnerability makes them an easy target. To make massive displacement and the humanitarian disaster matters worse they are scattered all over the country, caused by the Syrian civil war. so they are the only minority group in Iraq without a There is no doubt that more of a decade of sectarian safe enclave. If the violence persists, it is feared their infighting has had a devastating impact on Iraqi society ancient culture and religion will be lost forever. as a whole. But religious minority groups have borne the brunt of the violence. For the past 14 years Mand- andaeans have a long history of per- aeans, like many other minorities, have been subjected secution. Their survival into the modern to persecution, murder, kidnappings, displacement, world is little short of a miracle. Their forced conversion to Islam, forced marriage, cruel M origins can be traced to the Jordan treatment, confiscation of assets including property and Valley area and it is thought that they may have migrated the destruction of their cultural and religious heritage. -
Popular Astronomy Lectures in Nineteenth Century Britain
Commercial and Sublime: Popular Astronomy Lectures in Nineteenth Century Britain Hsiang-Fu Huang UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History and Philosophy of Science March 2015 2 I, Hsiang-Fu Huang, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Date of signature: 9th March 2015 Supervisors: Joe Cain (UCL) Simon Werrett (UCL) Examiners: Frank A. J. L. James (UCL / Royal Institution of Great Britain) Richard Bellon (Michigan State University) Date of examination: 16th December 2014 3 4 Abstract This thesis discusses the practitioners, sites, curriculums, apparatus and audiences of popular astronomy lecturing in nineteenth-century Britain. Lecturers who were active approximately between 1820 and 1860 are the focus. This thesis emphasises popularisers who were not scientific elites, including C. H. Adams (1803-1871), George Bartley (c. 1782-1858), and D. F. Walker (1778-1865). Activities of private popularisers are compared with those in scientific establishments, such as the Royal Institution. Private entrepreneurs were not inferior to institutional competitors and enjoyed popularity among audiences. Until the 1860s, popular astronomy lecturing was a shared arena of institutional and private popularisers. A theatrical turn occurred in the popular astronomy lecturing trade before 1820. Popularisers moved lectures into theatres and adopted theatrical facilities in performance. They developed large onstage devices, such as the transparent orrery, for achieving scenic and dramatic effects. These onstage astronomical lectures were a phenomenon in the early nineteenth century and were usually performed during Lent. -
Astronomical Observatories: from the Prehistory to The
RMxAA (Serie de Conferencias), 51, 1–8 (2019) ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES: FROM THE PREHISTORY TO THE XVIII CENTURY M. A. Castro Tirado1,2 ABSTRACT We describe the development of astronomical observatories since the prehistory until the late XVIII century, and how an evolution of several millennia took us from very elementary structures to buildings hosting telescopes and domes in which science was the fundamental, but not the only motivation. RESUMEN Describimos el desarrollo de observatorios astron´omicos desde la prehistoria hasta finales del siglo XVIII, y c´omo la evoluci´on de varios milenios ha pasado de estructuras elementales a edificios albergando telescopios y c´upulas en los cuales la ciencia era fundamental, pero no la ´unica motivaci´on. Key Words: history and philosophy of astronomy — telescopes 1. INTRODUCTION Dreyer (1953), Hall (1983), Magli (2009), Sayili Astronomy originates from the primitive rela- (1960) and Thurston (1994) have been consulted for tionship between man and nature. Especially with the present review. its most unreachable component: the sky. In antiquity, some of the stars were considered 2. STONE AGE gods and the sky was their residence. Therefore The earliest set of recordings in Prehistory to there was a strong connection between astronomy date is the Goseck Circle (Figure 1). It consists of a and religion that only began to diverge a few cen- neolithic structure located in Germany dating about turies ago. In addition to this spiritual sense, the 7000 years old. It is a solar observatory of annu- beginnings of this science point to the instrumental- lar plant, with an inner radius of 48 meters and an ization of the firmament as a system of measurement outer radius of 82. -
Creating a Constellation
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY Creating a Constellation General Information Level: elementary 1st and 2nd cycles. Students per group: individual activity. How long: two 60-minute periods. Where: in class. When: before visiting the Planetarium. Type of activity: discovery led by the teacher. Key words: constellations — stars — legends — mythology. Skills honed: observing, classifying, inventing concepts, researching, developing motor skills, writing, communicating, fostering creativity. Starting Point What is a constellation? What picture does a group of stars evoke? Can I create my own constellation and think up a story about it? Preconceptions Students, particularly younger ones, might not know what a constellation is. They may also believe that the constellations are the same for all people on Earth and that everyone who looks at a specific group of stars sees the same thing in it. Basic Concepts From time immemorial, people have pondered the heavens. In the patterns formed by neighbour- ing stars, different cultures have seen animals, mythical creatures, legendary heroes, and objects of cultural importance. These groups of randomly linked stars are known as constellations. Creating a Constellation © 2000 Planétarium de Montréal — 2001.12.08 1 Goals Students create their own constellation from a group of stars and invent stories explaining their constellation. They then compare their creations with what other students have thought up and what other cultures have seen in the same group of stars. By the end of this activity, students should be able to: • Defi ne constellation (a pattern formed by a group of stars). • Create a constellation using a specifi c group of stars. • Make up a brief story about their constellation. -
38 • the FEDERAL LAWYER • November/December 2019
38 • THE FEDERAL LAWYER • November/December 2019 “When ISIS attacked Sinjar, they came to destroy.” —Yazidi religious authority ISIS AND THE CRIMES AGAINST THE YAZIDIS PEOPLE FRANCESCA BRAGA adia Murad1 is a 26-year-old Yazidi Al-Qaida in post-Saddam Iraq, which sanctioned their indiscriminate woman who was captured by the killing. ISIS has referred to them as a “pagan minority” and add that Yazidi women can be enslaved as spoils of war.9 so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Al- On June 10, 2014, ISIS captured Mosul and started a campaign to Sham (ISIS).2 She was a victim of war “purify” the region of its “non-Islamic” and Shiite communities. Ncrimes and has refused to accept the social norm Since the Sinjar District attack on Aug. 3, 2014, when ISIS that women should remain silent and ashamed publicly cited the Yazidi faith as the basis for the attack, ISIS has committed the crime of genocide as well as multiple crimes against of the abuses to which they have been subjected. humanity (CAH) and war crimes10 against the Yazidis.11 She has shown uncommon courage in recounting The U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on her own sufferings and speaking up on behalf of the Syrian Arab Republic12 determined that ISIS’ violence against the 13 other victims.3 Yazidis of Sinjar constitutes a case of genocide defined by Article 2 of 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel of Genocide,14 to which the Syrian Arab Republic is a state party. -
Middle East 1 Middle East
Middle East 1 Middle East Middle East Map of the Middle east. (Green color) Countries 18–38 (varying definitions) Languages Middle East: Arabic, Aramaic, Azerbaijani, French, Greek, Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian, Somali, Turkish Greater Middle East: Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Balochi, Berber, Dari, French, Greek, Georgian, Hebrew, Kurdish, Pashto, Persian, Somali, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu Time Zones UTC +3:30 (Iran) to UTC +2:00 (Egypt) (traditional definition) Largest Cities In rank order: Istanbul, Cairo, Tehran, Baghdad, Riyadh, Jeddah, Ankara The Middle East[1] is a region that roughly encompasses Western Asia. The term is considered to be Eurocentric and used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East. The corresponding adjective is Middle-Eastern and the derived noun is Middle-Easterner. The largest ethnic group in the middle east are Arabs,[2] with Turks, Turkomans, Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Copts, Jews, Maronites, Assyro-Chaldeans, Circassians, Armenians, Druze and numerous other ethnic groups forming other significant populations. The history of the Middle East dates back to ancient times, and throughout its history, the Middle East has been a major center of world affairs. When discussing ancient history, however, the term Near East is more commonly used. The Middle East is also the historical origin of major religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as the less common Baha'i faith, Mandaeism, Druze faith and others. The Middle East generally has an arid and hot climate, with several major rivers providing for irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas, especially in Mesopotamia and the rest of the Fertile Crescent. Many countries located around the Persian Gulf have large quantities of crude oil, which has resulted in much wealth particularly for nations in the Arabian peninsula. -
Is a Global Identity Possible? the Relevance of Big History to Self-Other Relations”, Refugee Watch, (13):36, 2010, Pp.53-77
On The Possibility of a Global Political Community: The Enigma of ‘Small Local Differences’ within Humanity1 Heikki Patomäki Introduction Is anything like a global political community – and thereby ideals such as global democracy and justice – achievable? This is a key question not only for political theory but also for contemporary political practices. For instance, a call for global solidarity in the face of rapid global warming (UNDP 2007), which seems ever more urgent in 2017, assumes a shared planetary identity across the currently prevailing differences and divisions. It seems that there can be no solidarity without a common identity at some level of human being. Environmentalists maintain that all humans share an important thing in common, namely planet Earth and its sphere of life, to which we essentially belong. In contrast, many political realists believe that humans are essentially tribal beings, or at least will remain so in the foreseeable future. This belief may be grounded on anything from speculative philosophical accounts of the human nature to sociobiological theories 1 This paper has been in progress for a decade. I first wrote it in 2007 and presented it in a few conferences, workshops and the like, including the Calcutta Research Group Winter School in December 2007. That presentation led eventually to a limited-circulation publication “Is a Global Identity Possible? The Relevance of Big History to Self-Other Relations”, Refugee Watch, (13):36, 2010, pp.53-77. A couple of years later I used the last two sections of this paper in a revised form in “The Problems of Legitimation and Potential Conflicts in a World Political Community”, Cooperation & Conflict, (47):2, 2012, pp.239-59. -
Religion and Science in Abraham Ibn Ezra's Sefer Ha-Olam
RELIGION AND SCIENCE IN ABRAHAM IBN EZRA'S SEFER HA-OLAM (INCLUDING AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW TEXT) Uskontotieteen pro gradu tutkielma Humanistinen tiedekunta Nadja Johansson 18.3.2009 1 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Abraham Ibn Ezra and Sefer ha-Olam ........................................................................ 3 1.2 Previous research ......................................................................................................... 5 1.3 The purpose of this study ............................................................................................. 8 2 SOURCE, METHOD AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................... 10 2.1 Primary source: Sefer ha-Olam (the Book of the World) ........................................... 10 2.1.1 Edition, manuscripts, versions and date .............................................................. 10 2.1.2 Textual context: the astrological encyclopedia .................................................... 12 2.1.3 Motivation: technical handbook .......................................................................... 14 2.2 Method ....................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.1 Translation and historical analysis ...................................................................... 16 2.2.2 Systematic analysis ............................................................................................. -
III. References to the Sky and to the Celestial Bodies in Sacred Scripture
Sky Published on Inters.org (https://inters.org) Sky Copyright © Interdisciplinary Encyclopedia of Religion and Science ISSN: 2037-2329 and the author. No part of this article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without the prior permission of the Editors. To refer to the content of this article, quote: INTERS – Interdisciplinary Encyclopedia of Religion and Science, edited by G. Tanzella-Nitti and A. Strumia, www.inters.org Date: 2002 DOI: 10.17421/2037-2329-2002-GT-7 Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti [1] I. Observation of the Sky and Natural Religious Experience 1. The Heavens: A Place of Divine Transcendence 2. The Mythical-Religious Meaning of Some Celestial Bodies - II. The Association between Celestial Phenomena and Human Lives according to Mesopotamian Astrology and Greek Polytheism 1. Two Different Ways of Relating to Celestial Bodies 2. Astrology and the Judaeo-Christian Tradition - III. References to the Sky and to Celestial Bodies in Sacred Scripture 1. The Sky in Natural Religious Language and the God of Israel. 2. Biblical References to the Sky and Their Principal Meanings 3. The Celestial Bodies - IV. Heaven in the Language of Theology 1.Scientific Thought and the Religious-Theological Notion of Heaven 2. Heaven as a Place and as a “Status.” If nature, understood in the broad sense, was the place from which primitive religiosity and philosophy began their reflections, followed closely by scientific reflections, the natural place in which the weaving together of science, philosophy, and religion reached its greatest cultural expression was, without a doubt, the “sky,” regarded as a space of both conceptual and experimental consideration.