The Scientific Odyssey

An examination of scientific inquiry through a discussion of the history and philosophy of the scientific endeavor and the people who have participated in it.

The Scientific Odyssey Unscripted-The Muon g-2 Experiment Results 04/12/2021

The Scientific Odyssey Unscripted-The Muon g-2 Experiment Results In this unscripted episode, we take a look at the announced results from the Muon g-2 experiment recently performed at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. We examine what it means for the Standard Model of Particle Physics along with the importance of doing science with the goal of falsifying presently accepted models and theories rather than seeking confirmation. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/18686492

Episode 1.10: Science, Pseudoscience, and Snake Oil 03/28/2021

Episode 1.10: Science, Pseudoscience, and Snake Oil A look at pseudosciences and their characteristics through the lenses of critical thinking and inquiry. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/18500057

Episode 5.12: Boundaries of Empire 03/14/2021

Episode 5.12: Boundaries of Empire In this episode, we begin our exploration of the Chinese cartographic tradition. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/18317549

Solstice 2020 12/25/2020

Solstice 2020 In this special solstice episode fo the podcast, we embark on a winter journey through the writings of John Muir and David Henry Thoreau among others. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/17325248

Episode 5.11: Itineraries 12/10/2020

Episode 5.11: Itineraries In this episode, we conclude our examination of cartography in the Roman Empire by looking at the development of itineraries and travel maps from the period of the late Antonines to the Byzantine Empire. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/17148032

Special Episode 1: Silverado Squatters-Part 1 10/28/2020

Special Episode 1: Silverado Squatters-Part 1 For many of the crew of the Scientific Odyssey, the next couple of weeks promises to be stressful with the coming US Presidential elections, a rising number of CoVID-19 cases, and many difficult decisions related to school, work, and family. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/16578044

The 200th Episode 07/26/2020

The 200th Episode In this anniversary celebration of out journey, we turn the canvas over to other voices to explore the intersection between inquiry in the sciences and the humanities. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/15359594

Episode 1.9: Understanding Conspiracy Theories 04/26/2020

Episode 1.9: Understanding Conspiracy Theories In this episode, we look at applying the tools of good critical thinking and skepticism to analyzing conspiracy theories. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/14150963

Episode 1.8: Barriers to Good Critical Thinking 04/18/2020

Episode 1.8: Barriers to Good Critical Thinking In this episode of our series on "Science as Inquiry" we look at those things that keep people from engaging in good critical thinking practices and how to overcome them. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/14042864

Episode 1.7: Characteristics of Good Critical Thinking 04/11/2020

Episode 1.7: Characteristics of Good Critical Thinking "The fox knows many little things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing."-Archilochus /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/13946801

Episode 1.6: Introduction to Critical Thinking 04/01/2020

Episode 1.6: Introduction to Critical Thinking In this episode we broaden our focus to consider critical thinking in a more comprehensive way by looking at what it is, why its such a valuable habit of mind to have and what types of activities contribute to making it such a powerful process. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/13795268

Episode 5.10: Surveying an Empire 03/22/2020

Episode 5.10: Surveying an Empire One of the pillars of the Roman Republic and Empire was its ability to survey, divide, assign and tax land. In this episode of the podcast, we look at processes, people and tools that made such precise surveying possible. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/13651100

The Scientific Odyssey Unscripted: The CoVID-19 Global Pandemic 03/17/2020

The Scientific Odyssey Unscripted: The CoVID-19 Global Pandemic Wherein your Navigator discusses the CoVID-19 virus, the global pandemic, how public health and public policy response is formulated, and how to engage with the information and misinformation that's coming through various media channels. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/13588697

Episode 5.9: All Roads Lead to Somewhere 02/02/2020

Episode 5.9: All Roads Lead to Somewhere In this episode, we trace the development of roads from their pre-historic roots (or routes) to the development of the massive arterial network of the Roman Empire. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/12982649

The Scientific Odyssey Unscripted: Betelgeuse-Is He Going to Blow? 01/09/2020

The Scientific Odyssey Unscripted: Betelgeuse-Is He Going to Blow? Some recent media accounts have speculated that the red supergiant star in the constellation of Orion is about to explode in a cataclysmic supernova based on recent observations of the star's dimming brightness. We examine the evidence and offer a different explanation. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/12677294

Episode 5.8: Heaven and Earth 12/24/2019

Episode 5.8: Heaven and Earth In this episode, we trace the development of Hellenistic geography from the work of Polybius, through Strabo, to its conclusion with Claudius Ptolemaeus. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/12524495

Episode 5.7: How Big is Our World? 10/29/2019

Episode 5.7: How Big is Our World? In this episode we examine the development of a more empirically based geography in the Hellenistic period from the voyage of Pytheas to the map of Eratosthenes. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/11823290

Episode 5.6: Ocean Around a Wine-Darkened Sea 10/01/2019

Episode 5.6: Ocean Around a Wine-Darkened Sea Beginning with Homer's Iliad, we look at the development of Greek geographical models of the Earth through the Classical Period. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/11462789

Episode 3.53: The Cassini Dynasty 08/27/2019

Episode 3.53: The Cassini Dynasty For 220 years, the Cassini family was among the most powerful and influential scientific dynasties of Europe. In we look at their work and lives in the period of Louis XIV, the sun King, through the end of the Bourbon monarchy. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/11011061

Episode 5.5: The Centered Universe 06/10/2019

Episode 5.5: The Centered Universe In this episode we look at cartography in the ancient cultures around the Mediterranean Basin with an eye to understanding the role and purpose of maps and mapping. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/10112601

Episode 5.4: Emerging From Connections 05/23/2019

Episode 5.4: Emerging From Connections We explore the connection between maps and other cultural ideas and technologies such as language, writing and time to see how the physical artifacts arise out of abstract conceptual constructs. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/9898934

Episode 5.3: Dead Reckoning 05/08/2019

Episode 5.3: Dead Reckoning In this episode, we discuss the development and use of basic navigational tools and how they lead to map knowledge in ancient cultures. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/9696587

Episode 5.2: Defining Space 03/25/2019

Episode 5.2: Defining Space Wherein we look at mapping as a human activity and begin our exploration of the evidence of the earliest maps known. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/9127121

Episode 3.52: Interview with Todd Timberlake 03/14/2019

Episode 3.52: Interview with Todd Timberlake In this episode we interview Dr. Todd Timberlake about the book he co-authored with Dr. Paul Wallace: Finding Our Place in the Solar System, A Scientific View of the Copernican Revolution (Available March 28th, 2019 from Cambridge University Press). /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/9003143

Episode 5.1: Uncharted Waters 02/24/2019

Episode 5.1: Uncharted Waters Wherein we prepare to once again slip our lines in search of new knowledge. We discuss the effects of modern technologies and what is gained and lost in their use. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/8761211

Episode 4.7: William Whewell-A Victorian Debate 01/21/2019

Episode 4.7: William Whewell-A Victorian Debate In the years between 1840 and 1866, a debate took place between William Whewell and the philosopher and politician John Stuart Mill over the nature of scientific inquiry and moral philosophy at a time of great social change in Britain. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/8337329

Episode 4.6.1: Supplemental-William Whewell on the General Bearing of the Great Exhibition 12/26/2018

Episode 4.6.1: Supplemental-William Whewell on the General Bearing of the Great Exhibition Our 2018 Christmas episode: In 1851, Dr. William Whewell gave the inaugural lecture of a series reflecting on the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. This is a reading of that lecture. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/8041046

Episode 4.6: William Whewell-A Potent Life Forgotten 12/09/2018

Episode 4.6: William Whewell-A Potent Life Forgotten An examination of the scientific contributions of William Whewell through the early and middle parts of his career. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/7852784

Episode 4.5: William Whewell-Leaving Home 11/19/2018

Episode 4.5: William Whewell-Leaving Home A look at the early life of the scholar and natural philosopher William Whewell. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/7609358

Episode 4.4: Out of the Doldrums 11/06/2018

Episode 4.4: Out of the Doldrums Wherein the Navigator discusses the state of the podcast going forward. /episode/index/show/thescientificodyssey/id/7451606

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