The Day the Universe Changed is a ten-part documentary television series presented by science historian James Burke. The series tells a series of stories of how specific scientific and technological advances have shaped the Western way of life. The series posits that when one's view of the universe changes, the universe itself effectively changes.
Episode Summary
According to 14th century European thinking, Jerusalem was the center of the Universe. The study of optics led to the discovery of perspective geometry and the ability to accurately measure distances. The concept of perception changed everything, from art and Architecture, to mapping and exploration.
Jump to Episode
- It Started with the Greeks
- Medieval Conflict: Faith and Reason
- Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance
- Printing Transforms Knowledge
- Science Revises the Heavens
- The Factory and Marketplace Revolution
- Social Impacts of New Medical Knowledge
- Darwin's Revolution
- The New Physics: Newton Revised
- Changing Knowledge, Changing Reality
Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance Part One
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- @-2:04: James Burke notes that modern warfare equipment is useless without its Satellite Navigation Systems
- @-3:40: The confident ability of mankind to know where we are and where were going began in the late 14th century
- @-4:24: In 1394, a small ship was headed from Constantinople to Italy while the Byzantine Empire was under attack by the Turkish
- @-5:11: Men measured nautical miles using Knots. They used a portolan chart and a compass to measure distance and bearing
- @-6:02: Manuel Chrysoloras was the head of this expedition, which changed the way atlases was drawn. At the time, Jerusalem was the center point
- @-6:55: Manuel Chrysoloras and Pope Boniface IX didn't get along. In 1397, Chrysoloras began teaching Greek at the University in Florence
- @-7:29: Florence was a commercial hub in the 14th Century. The wine, grain and leather from Northern Europe met silk cotton and spices from the East
- @-7:52: The ruling Medici Family used banking ...
Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance Part Two
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- @-0:01: Manuel Chrysoloras brought some affluent Florentines to Greece where they "bought the town" including an altas by Claudius Ptolemy
- @-1:23: Ancient Roman manuscripts became valuable to the Florentines, because they taught them how to get rewards while on earth, rather then the Christian perception of rewards in the afterlife. These men called themselves Humanists
- @-2:00: The Florentines, like the Pope Martin V, had their eyes on Rome. In 1417, Rome was in rough shape
- @-4:39: The Florentines wanted to be like the Romans. The answer lie in Padua, which was like the MIT of the 15th Century; there were more researchers per square foot than in any other town at the time
- @-5:45: Arab guru Ibn al-Haytham studied reflection, refraction and rainbows
- @-7:41: Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli of Florence was a student of Ibn al-Haytham's
- @-8:10: In 1424, Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli met with Architect Filippo Brunelleschi, which lead to the creation of the Brunelleschis ...
Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance Part Three
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- @-0:41: James Burke explains Filippo Brunelleschi radical ideas, which changed everything.
- @-2:36: James Burke interrupts to explain the mixture between Medieval Roman Church and Aristotle thinking of the 15th Century
- @-4:36: Filippo Brunelleschi shows off his discovery.
- @-6:39: James Burke on Leone Battista Alberti book about perspectives called Della pittura
- @-8:50: Filippo Brunelleschi's perspective-based designs were all the rage
Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance Part Four
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- @-0:44: In the 15th Century, Urbino, Italy was owned by Duke Federico da Montefeltro
- @-2:00: Federico da Montefeltro, with his Palazzo Ducale and pet giraffe, was a classical examples of living in Renaissance affluence
- @-4:29: The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella displays perfect symmetry
- @-5:12: The garrison town of Palmanova (near Venice) was planned and built using mathematics
- @-6:39: In 1419, exploration enthusiast Prince Henry of Portugal established a navigation school on Cape St. Vincent, off the coast of Portugal
- @-9:12: Cape Bojador, off the coast of Morocco, had historically caused problems for many travelers, including the Arabs and Aristotle
Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance Part Five
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- @-0:09:Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli helped Henry the Navigator understand a map drawn by Claudius Ptolemy. Because of this map, they trust they can make it past the Cape Bojador
- @-1:55: The Portuguese discovered and named Sierra Leone, where they ran into trouble with their navigational tools, as the North star was about to be lost from view
- @-3:53: The Portuguese found good trading in Sierra Leone where there was plenty of food and gold, however they wanted to make it to Asia for Spices
- @-6:00: On June 24, 1474, Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, with pieces of the world map collected from all over, used Geometry to grid the map and then turn it into a circle. From this, he concluded that the Portuguese could avoid reach Asia by going West and avoiding Africa altogether
- @-6:49: On August 3, 1492, on a mission financed by the Spanish, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. He used charts drawn by Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, but never reached his destination of Japan
Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance Part Six
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- @-0:01: James Burke shows satellite imagery of the Earth to illustrate how far we've come in the field of navigation
- @-1:27: Roll Credits
Have you watched any of James Burke's documentaries?(2 Answers)
A:
Absolutely! I loved both Connections and The Day the Universe Changed. The episodes that stand out were one where he took a whack at a cow carcass with ...
