Join us on this episode of “Nerding Out” as we delve into the fascinating life and work of Ptolemy, an ancient Greek mathematician, astronomer, and geographer! His geocentric model of the universe was a sophisticated mathematical framework that accurately predicted celestial movements. We’ll explore his book “Almagest”, which provided tables for predicting eclipses, planetary positions, and other astronomical events with remarkable accuracy.
Seth and Cesar talk about Ptolemy’s model and his explanation for planetary retrograde motion. Ptolemy created a physical model to explain why planets, or “wanderers” as the Greeks called them, appeared to move, i.e. the backward motion of mars. They discuss how ancient astronomy tried to make sense of the night sky using a geocentric model.
We’ll also discuss how Ptolemy’s model was widely accepted by scholars in the Middle Ages and remained a cornerstone of astronomy until the Renaissance. Contrary to popular misconceptions, the Catholic Church didn’t reject scientific inquiry or truth; instead, they accepted Ptolemy’s geocentric model because it was mathematically accurate and made predictions that matched observations.
We’ll also highlight the importance of trigonometry in Ptolemy’s work, which laid the foundation for later scientists like Copernicus and Galileo to develop more accurate models of the universe. So, if you’re curious about ancient Greek astronomy, mathematics, or want to learn more about how faith and reason can coexist, be sure to watch this video until the end!
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