The Scientific Odyssey

In this episode, we look at applying the tools of good critical thinking and skepticism to analyzing conspiracy theories.

In this episode of our series on "Science as Inquiry" we look at those things that keep people from engaging in good critical thinking practices and how to overcome them.

"The fox knows many little things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing."-Archilochus We trace this quote from the Archaic Greek poet through the work of the philosopher Isaac Berlin to see how it applied to create good practices of critical thinking.  Characteristics include having an inquiry focus, being flexible, understanding bias, practicing skepticism, using inference properly, and seeking multiple sources.

In this episode we broaden our focus to consider critical thinking in a more comprehensive way by looking at what it is, why its such a valuable habit of mind to have and what types of activities contribute to making it such a powerful process.

One of the pillars of the Roman Republic and Empire was its ability to survey, divide, assign and tax land.  In this episode of the podcast, we look at processes, people and tools that made such precise surveying possible.

Wherein your Navigator discusses the CoVID-19 virus, the global pandemic, how public health and public policy response is formulated, and how to engage with the information and misinformation that's coming through various media channels.

In this episode, we trace the development of roads from their pre-historic roots (or routes) to the development of the massive arterial network of the Roman Empire.

Some recent media accounts have speculated that the red supergiant star in the constellation of Orion is about to explode in a cataclysmic supernova based on recent observations of the star's dimming brightness.  We examine the evidence and offer a different explanation.

In this episode, we trace the development of Hellenistic geography from the work of Polybius, through Strabo, to its conclusion with Claudius Ptolemaeus.

In this episode we examine the development of a more empirically based geography in the Hellenistic period from the voyage of Pytheas to the map of Eratosthenes.

Beginning with Homer's Iliad, we look at the development of Greek geographical models of the Earth through the Classical Period.

For 220 years, the Cassini family was among the most powerful and influential scientific dynasties of Europe.  In we look at their work and lives in the period of Louis XIV, the sun King, through the end of the Bourbon monarchy.

In this episode we look at cartography in the ancient cultures around the Mediterranean Basin with an eye to understanding the role and purpose of maps and mapping.

We explore the connection between maps and other cultural ideas and technologies such as language, writing and time to see how the physical artifacts arise out of abstract conceptual constructs.

In this episode, we discuss the development and use of basic navigational tools and how they lead to map knowledge in ancient cultures.