Science History Archives

What was the Medieval warm period?

by History Guild | Sep 2, 2024 | History News | 0

Reading time: 6 minutes
The Medieval warm period is an asynchronous regional warming caused by natural (not human-driven) climatic variation, whereas we are facing a homogeneous and global warming caused by human activity releasing too much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

The first photograph of the entire globe: 50 years on, Blue Marble still inspires

by History Guild | Aug 26, 2024 | Military History | 0

Reading time: 6 minutes
December 7 marks the 50-year anniversary of the Blue Marble photograph. The crew of NASA’s Apollo 17 spacecraft – the last manned mission to the Moon – took a photograph of Earth and changed the way we visualised our planet forever. Taken with a Hasselblad film camera, it was the first photograph taken of the whole round Earth and is believed to be the most reproduced image of all time. Up until this point, our view of ourselves had been disconnected and fragmented: there was no way to visualise the planet in its entirety.

Why are algorithms called algorithms? A brief history of the Persian polymath you’ve likely never heard of

by History Guild | May 30, 2024 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 5 minutes
Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī played a central role in the development of mathematics and computer science as we know them today. The next time you use any digital technology – from your social media feed to your online bank account to your Spotify app – remember that none of it would be possible without the pioneering work of an ancient Persian polymath.

The spirit of invention in the Victorian home

by History Guild | May 8, 2024 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 8 minutes
The Victorian era was an amazing time for inventive activity. Advances in technology, science and industry brought change to all areas. One setting that provided endless inspiration for Victorian inventors was their homes. As it took on new forms and functions in the wake of rapid social change, the Victorian home sparked ideas for an array of creative inventions attempting to improve the domestic experience.

Hidden women of history: Maria Sibylla Merian, 17th-century entomologist and scientific adventurer

by History Guild | Mar 8, 2023 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 8 minutes
Most school kids can describe in detail the life cycle of butterflies: eggs hatch into caterpillars, caterpillars turn into cocoons and cocoons hatch. This seemingly basic bit of biology was once hotly debated. It was a pioneering naturalist, Maria Sibylla Merian, whose meticulous observations conclusively linked caterpillars to butterflies, laying the groundwork for the fields of entomology, animal behaviour and ecology.