1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910458635703321

Autore

Oresme Nicole <ca. 1320-1382.>

Titolo

Nicole Oresme's De visione stellarum (On seeing the stars) [[electronic resource] ] : a critical edition of Oresme's treatise on optics and atmospheric refraction / / with an introduction, commentary, and English translation by Dan Burton

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Leiden ; ; Boston, : Brill, 2007

ISBN

1-281-40051-3

9786611400514

90-474-1089-0

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (333 p.)

Collana

Medieval and early modern science, , 1567-8393 ; ; v. 7

Altri autori (Persone)

BurtonDan

Disciplina

535

Soggetti

Optics

Refraction, Astronomical

Science, Medieval

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--Indiana University, 2000.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. [245]-282) and indexes.

Nota di contenuto

Preliminary Material / D. Burton -- Chapter I. Introduction / D. Burton -- Chapter II. Nicole Oresme’S Life And Works / D. Burton -- Chapter III. The Writing Of De Visione Stellarum: Author, Date, Titles, And Influence / D. Burton -- Chapter IV. Overview And Commentary Onoresme’S De Visione Stellarum / D. Burton -- Chapter V. Manuscripts / D. Burton -- Chapter VI. Editorial Procedures / D. Burton -- Chapter VII. Citation List Of Authors Quoted Or Alluded To In Oresme’S De Visione Stellarum / D. Burton -- Part II. Nicole Oresme’S De Visione Stellarum Latin Critical Edition With English Translation / D. Burton -- Part III. Bibliography And Indices / D. Burton.

Sommario/riassunto

In this critical edition and translation of Nicole Oresme’s On Seeing the Stars , the renowned 14th-century natural philosopher proposes that the stars are not where they seem. And perhaps nothing is where it seems. In this earliest treatise on atmospheric refraction, Oresme uses optics and infinitesimals to help solve this vexing problem of astronomy. He is the first to propose that light travels along a curve



through the atmosphere – two centuries before Hooke and Newton, who are credited with the discovery. Further, he calls all sense data into doubt. Oresme’s argument concerning the curvature of light is a major milestone in the history of science, confirming that Oresme was one of the most innovative scientists of the pre-modern world.