Science and the Secrets of Nature
Science and the Secrets of Nature

Author: William Eamon

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2020-06-30

Total Pages: 508

ISBN-13: 0691214611

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By explaining how to sire multicolored horses, produce nuts without shells, and create an egg the size of a human head, Giambattista Della Porta's Natural Magic (1559) conveys a fascination with tricks and illusions that makes it a work difficult for historians of science to take seriously. Yet, according to William Eamon, it is in the "how-to" books written by medieval alchemists, magicians, and artisans that modern science has its roots. These compilations of recipes on everything from parlor tricks through medical remedies to wool-dyeing fascinated medieval intellectuals because they promised access to esoteric "secrets of nature." In closely examining this rich but little-known source of literature, Eamon reveals that printing technology and popular culture had as great, if not stronger, an impact on early modern science as did the traditional academic disciplines.

Secrets of Nature
Secrets of Nature

Author: William R. Newman

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 9780262140751

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A fresh look at the role of astrology and alchemy in Renaissance thinking and everyday life.

Jesuit Science and the End of Nature's Secrets
Jesuit Science and the End of Nature's Secrets

Author: Mark A. Waddell

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-03-09

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1317111095

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Jesuit Science and the End of Nature’s Secrets explores how several prominent Jesuit naturalists - including Niccolò Cabeo, Athanasius Kircher, and Gaspar Schott - tackled the problem of occult or insensible causation in the seventeenth century. The search for hidden causes lay at the heart of the early modern study of nature, and included phenomena such as the activity of the magnet, the marvelous powers ascribed to certain animals and plants, and the hidden, destructive forces churning in the depths of the Earth. While this was a project embraced by most early modern naturalists, however, the book demonstrates that the Jesuits were uniquely suited to the study of nature’s hidden secrets because of the complex methods of contemplation and meditation enshrined at the core of their spirituality. Divided into six chapters, the work documents how particular Jesuits sought to reveal and expose nature’s myriad secrets through an innovative blending of technology, imagery, and experiment. Moving beyond the conventional Aristotelianism mandated by the Society of Jesus, they set forth a vision of the world that made manifest the works of God as Creator, no matter how deeply hidden those works were. The book thus not only presents a narrative that challenges present-day assumptions about the role played by Catholic religious communities in the formation of modern science, but also captures the exuberance and inventiveness of the early modern study of nature.

Secrets of a Devon Wood
Secrets of a Devon Wood

Author: Jo Brown

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781780724379

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Walking one day in the woods behind her cottage in Devon, nature illustrator and blogger Jo Brown became captivated by the sight of a Green Dock Beetle on a leaf and took a photograph of it in order to be able to draw it. That first tiny emerald bug was followed by more insects, and then birds, fungi, plants and flowers. The result is Secrets of a Devon Wood, a rich illustrated memory of her discoveries in the order in which she encountered them, so that the book flows smoothly with the seasons and the emergence of different wildlife. In enchanting, minute detail she zooms in on a bog beacon mushroom, a buff-tailed bumblebee, or a native bluebell. And she notes facts about their physiology and life history: "The flowers are narrow & darker than H. hispanica & H.x. mossartiana," she writes. "Drooping stem. Almost all flowers are on one side. Sweet scent." This journal is a treat for the senses, both a hymn to the intricate beauty of the natural world and a quiet call to arms for all of us to acknowledge and preserve it. It is a book that will stay with you long after you finally put it down

Secrets of Snakes
Secrets of Snakes

Author: David A. Steen

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2019-09-23

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1623497973

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Winner, 2020 National Outdoor Book Award, Nature and the Environment Snakes inspire extreme reactions. Love or hate these limbless reptiles, almost everyone is fascinated by them. Although snakes are widespread and frequently encountered, they may be more misunderstood than any other group of animals. From giant rattlesnakes to mating dances, there are dozens of myths and misconceptions about snakes. In Secrets of Snakes: The Science beyond the Myths, wildlife biologist David Steen tackles the most frequently asked questions and clears up prevailing myths. In a conversational style with a bit of humor, Steen presents the relevant biology and natural history of snakes, making the latest scientific research accessible to a general audience. When addressing myths about snakes, he explains how researchers use the scientific method to explain which parts of the myth are biologically plausible and which are not. Steen also takes a close look at conventional wisdom and common advice about snakes. For example, people are told they can distinguish coralsnakes from non-venomous mimics by remembering the rhyme, “red on black, friend of Jack, red on yellow, kill a fellow,” but this tip is only relevant to coralsnakes and two mimics living in the southeastern United States, and it does not always work with other species or in other countries. Enhanced by more than 100 stunning color photographs and three original drawings, Secrets of Snakes: The Science beyond the Myths encourages readers to learn about the snakes around them and introduces them to how scientists use the scientific method and critical thinking to learn about the natural world. Number Sixty-one: W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series

Searching for the Secrets of Nature
Searching for the Secrets of Nature

Author: Simon Varey

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780804739641

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This collection of essays by historians, historians of science and medicine, and literary and textual scholars from several countries analyzes the achievements of Dr. Francisco Hernández (1515-87), author of the monumental The Natural History of New Spain, in the history of medicine and science in Europe and the Americas.