|
Specula Melitensis Encyclica
''Specula Melitensis Encyclica'' (“The Maltese Watchtower”) is a 1638 book by Fra Salvatore Imbroll, describing a machine invented by a Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher. It was printed in Naples by Secundino Roncagliolo and dedicated to Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta. The book describes a machine that Kircher had devised while on a trip to Malta as the confessor of Friedrich of Hesse-Darmstadt. The machine was a combination mechanical calculator and a reference of contemporary scientific knowledge related primarily to astronomy, astrology, and medicine. The author of the document, Fra Salvatore Imbroll, seemed to have completed the project begun by Kircher. Kircher's work in 1638 predates that of Blaise Pascal, but comes after the mechanical calculators devised by John Napier and Wilhelm Schickard. Title The full title reads ''Specula Melitensis Encyclica'', that is, a Syntagma of new Physico-Mathematical Instruments, in which anythin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Title Page Of “Specula Melitensis Encyclica”
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the first and last name (for example, ''Graf'' in German, Cardinal in Catholic usage (Richard Cardinal Cushing) or clerical titles such as Archbishop). Some titles are hereditary. Types Titles include: * Honorific titles or styles of address, a phrase used to convey respect to the recipient of a communication, or to recognize an attribute such as: ** Imperial, royal and noble ranks ** Academic degree ** Social titles, prevalent among certain sections of society due to historic or other reasons. ** Other accomplishment, as with a title of honor * Title of authority, an identifier that specifies the office or position held by an official Titles in English-speaking areas Common titles * Mr. – Adult man (regardless of marital status) * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Physiognomy
Physiognomy (from the Greek , , meaning "nature", and , meaning "judge" or "interpreter") is the practice of assessing a person's character or personality from their outer appearance—especially the face. The term can also refer to the general appearance of a person, object, or terrain without reference to its implied characteristics—as in the physiognomy of an individual plant (see plant life-form) or of a plant community (see vegetation). Physiognomy as a practice meets the contemporary definition of pseudoscience and it is so regarded among academic circles because of its unsupported claims; popular belief in the practice of physiognomy is nonetheless still widespread. The practice was well-accepted by ancient Greek philosophers, but fell into disrepute in the Middle Ages while practised by vagabonds and mountebanks. It revived and was popularised by Johann Kaspar Lavater, before falling from favor in the late 19th century. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1638 Works
Events January–March * January 4 – **A naval battle takes place in the Indian Ocean off of the coast of Goa at South India as a Netherlands fleet commanded by Admiral Adam Westerwolt decimates the Portuguese fleet. **A fleet of 80 Spanish ships led by Governor-General Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera attacks the Sultanate of Sulu in the Philippines by beginning an invasion of Jolo island, but Sultan Muwallil Wasit I puts up a stiff resistance. * January 8 – The siege of Shimabara Castle ends after 27 days in Japan's Tokugawa shogunate (now part of Nagasaki prefecture) as the rebel peasants flee reinforcements sent by the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. * January 22 – The Shimabara and Amakusa rebels, having joined up after fleeing the shogun's troops, begin the defense of the Hara Castle in what is now Minamishimabara in the Nagasaki prefecture. The siege lasts more than 11 weeks before the peasants are killed. * February 28 – The Scottish National Covenant is s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1638 In Science
The year 1638 in science and technology involved some significant events. Astronomy * December 21 – Total eclipse of the Moon falls on the same day as the winter solstice, for the first time in the Common Era. Geology * (Italy). * . The epicentre was in Crotone. Physics * The final book of the now-blind Galileo, '' Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche, intorno à due nuove scienze'' is published in Leiden, dealing with the strength of materials and the motion of objects. In it, he discusses the square–cube law, the law of falling bodies and infinity. He also discusses his experimental method for measuring the speed of light; he has been unable to determine it over a short distance. Publications * Publication of '' The Man in the Moone, or the Discovrse of a Voyage thither'' "by Domingo Gonsales" (actually by Francis Godwin, Bishop of Hereford (died 1633)), an early example of science fiction. Births * January 1 ( NS January 11) – Nicolas Steno, Danish pioneer of geol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
History Of Longitude
The history of longitude describes the centuries-long effort by astronomers, cartographers and navigators to discover a means of determining the longitude of any given place on Earth. The measurement of longitude is important to both cartography and navigation. In particular, for safe ocean navigation, knowledge of both latitude and longitude is required. Finding an accurate and practical method of determining longitude took centuries of study and invention by some of the greatest scientists and engineers. After increasingly accurate methods based on astronomical observations and chronometers, today the problem of longitude has been solved to centimeter accuracy through satellite navigation. Longitude before the telescope Eratosthenes in the 3rd century BCE first proposed a system of latitude and longitude for a map of the world. His prime meridian (line of longitude) passed through Alexandria and Rhodes, while his parallels (lines of latitude) were not regularly spaced, but p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Island Of The Day Before
''The Island of the Day Before'' ( it, L'isola del giorno prima) is a 1994 historical fiction novel by Umberto Eco set in the 17th century during the historical search for the secret of longitude. The central character is Roberto della Griva, an Italian nobleman stranded on a deserted ship in the Pacific Ocean, and his slowly decaying mental state, in a backdrop of Baroque-era science, metaphysics, and cosmology. Plot summary Roberto della Griva, a 17th-century Italian nobleman, is the sole survivor of a shipwreck during a fierce storm. He finds himself washed up on an abandoned ship, the ''Daphne'', anchored off a mysterious Pacific island through which, he convinces himself, runs the International Date Line (roughly 180° longitude). The ship is fully provisioned, he discovers, but the crew is missing. Although the shore is very close, Roberto is unable to swim, and is therefore stranded on the ship. With no way of locating himself or finding a way home, Roberto abandons h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular 1980 novel '' The Name of the Rose'', a historical mystery combining semiotics in fiction with biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory, as well as '' Foucault's Pendulum,'' his 1988 novel which touches on similar themes. Eco wrote prolifically throughout his life, with his output including children's books, translations from French and English, in addition to a twice-monthly newspaper column "La Bustina di Minerva" (Minerva's Matchbook) in the magazine '' L'Espresso'' beginning in 1985, with his last column (a critical appraisal of the Romantic paintings of Francesco Hayez) appearing 27 January 2016. At the time of his death, he was an Emeritus professor at the University of Bologna, where he taught for much of his life. In the 21st century, he has c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lunar Node
A lunar node is either of the two orbital nodes of the Moon, that is, the two points at which the orbit of the Moon intersects the ecliptic. The ''ascending'' (or ''north'') node is where the Moon moves into the northern ecliptic hemisphere, while the ''descending'' (or ''south'') node is where the Moon enters the southern ecliptic hemisphere. Eclipses A lunar eclipse can occur only when the full Moon is near either lunar node (within 11° 38' ecliptic longitude), while a solar eclipse can occur only when the new Moon is near either lunar node (within 17° 25'). Both solar eclipses of July 2000 (on the 1st and 31st days) occurred around the time when the Moon was at its ascending node. Ascending-node eclipses recur after one draconic year on average, which is about 0.94901 Gregorian year, as do descending-node eclipses. Precession Because the orbital plane of the Moon precesses in space, the lunar nodes also precess around the ecliptic, completing one revolution (c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phlebotomy
Phlebotomy is the process of making a puncture in a vein, usually in the arm, with a cannula for the purpose of drawing blood. The procedure itself is known as a venipuncture, which is also used for intravenous therapy. A person who performs a phlebotomy is called a ''phlebotomist'', although most doctors, nurses, and other technicians can also carry out a phlebotomy. In contrast, phlebectomy is the removal of a vein. Phlebotomies that are carried out in the treatment of some blood disorders are known as '' therapeutic phlebotomies''. The average volume of whole blood drawn in a therapeutic phlebotomy to an adult is 1 unit (450-500 ml) weekly to once every several months, as needed. Etymology From grc, φλεβοτομία ( – 'blood vessel, vein' + 'cutting'), via fro, flebothomie (modern French ). Phlebotomies Phlebotomies are carried out by phlebotomists – people trained to draw blood mostly from veins for clinical or medical testing, transfusions, donations, or rese ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sympathetic Magic
Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence. Similarity and contagion James George Frazer coined the term "sympathetic magic" in ''The Golden Bough'' (1889); Richard Andree, however, anticipated Frazer, writing of sympathy-enchantment ( de , Sympathie-Zauber) in his 1878 ''Ethnographische Parallelen und Vergleiche''. Frazer subcategorised sympathetic magic into two varieties: that relying on similarity, and that relying on contact or "contagion": Imitation Imitation involves using effigies, fetishes or poppets to affect the environment of people, or people themselves. Voodoo dolls are an example of fetishes used in this way: the practitioner uses a lock of hair on the doll to create a link (also known as a "taglock") between the doll and the donor of this lock of hair. In this way, that which happens to the doll will also happen to the person. Correspondence Correspondence is based on the idea that one can infl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hermeticism
Hermeticism, or Hermetism, is a philosophical system that is primarily based on the purported teachings of Hermes Trismegistus (a legendary Hellenistic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth). These teachings are contained in the various writings attributed to Hermes (the ''Hermetica''), which were produced over a period spanning many centuries (), and may be very different in content and scope. One of the most common uses of the label is to refer to the religio-philosophical system propounded by a specific subgroup of Hermetic writings known as the 'philosophical' ''Hermetica'', the most famous of which is the ''Corpus Hermeticum'' (a collection of seventeen Greek Hermetic treatises written between c. 100 and c. 300 CE). This specific, historical form of Hermetic philosophy is sometimes more restrictively called Hermetism, to distinguish it from the philosophies inspired by the many Hermetic writings of a completely different period and nature. A more o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paracelsianism
Paracelsianism (also Paracelsism; German: ') was an early modern medical movement based on the theories and therapies of Paracelsus. It developed in the second half of the 16th century, during the decades following Paracelsus' death in 1541, and it flourished during the first half of the 17th century, representing one of the most comprehensive alternatives to learned medicine, the traditional system of therapeutics derived from Galenic physiology. Based on the by then antiquated principle of maintaining harmony between the microcosm and macrocosm, Paracelsianism fell rapidly into decline in the later 17th century, but left its mark on medical practices. It was responsible for the widespread introduction of mineral therapies and several other iatrochemical techniques. Spagyric Spagyric, or spagyria, is a method developed by Paracelsus and his followers which was thought to improve the efficacy of existing medicines by separating them into their primordial elements (the : sulphu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
