Dava Sobel Boeken

'En toch beweegt zij zich' zijn de beroemde woorden van Galileo Galilei, toen hij in 1633 werd veroordeeld tot gevangenschap in een kerker. De aarde beweegt zich rond de zon - een ongehoorde en godslasterlijke opvatting in die tijd. Veel meer dan dit weet men doorgaans niet van de beroemde Italiaanse natuur- en sterrenkundige. Weinigen zijn ervan op de hoogte dat er een opmerkelijke briefwisseling tussen Galilei en zijn dochter Virginia bewaard is gebleven. In 1600, toen zijn dochter dertien was, zorgde Galilei ervoor dat zij een plaats kreeg in een klooster vlak bij hem in de buurt in Florence. Tot die tijd bestierde zij het huishouden. Als Maria Celeste volgde zij de loopbaan van haar vader, adviseerde hem en sprak hem moed in in talloze brieven. Ze bleek de belangrijkste bron te zijn waar hij in moeilijke jaren kracht uit putte, en hij beantwoordde haar liefde op iedere mogelijke manier.

Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that "the longitude problem" was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day—and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives, and the increasing fortunes of nations, hung on a resolution. The scientific establishment of Europe—from Galileo to Sir Issac Newton—had mapped the heavens in both hemispheres in its certain pursuit of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution—a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had ever been able to do on land. Longitude is a dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and Harrison's forty-year obsession with building his perfect timekeeper, known today as the chronometer. Full of heroism and chicanery, it is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clock-making, and opens a new window on our world. On its 10th anniversary, a gift edition of this classic book, with a forward by one of history's greatest explorers, and eight pages of color illustrations.

Deemed by Albert Einstein as "the father of modern physics," Galileo Galilei was a revolutionary figure in science, known for his heretical views and groundbreaking discoveries. Dava Sobel, author of Longitude, presents an intimate biography through the 124 letters of Galileo's eldest daughter, Virginia, published for the first time in translation. Virginia, one of Galileo's three illegitimate children, was sent to the Convent of San Matteo at age 13, where she took the name Suor Maria Celeste. She recognized her father's brilliance and supported him unwaveringly during his trial by the Inquisition in 1633. Born in Pisa in 1564, Galileo defied his father's wishes to pursue medicine, choosing instead to study mathematics and philosophy. His career began at the University of Pisa and Padua, where he gained the patronage of the Medici Grand Dukes. His inventions, including the geometric compass and an improved telescope, led to significant discoveries, including four of Jupiter's moons. However, his advocacy for Copernicus's heliocentric theory brought him into conflict with the Church. Pope Urban VIII, once a friend, turned against him, leading to a trial and house arrest. Throughout this turmoil, Suor Maria Celeste remained a devoted daughter, caring for him from the convent and providing emotional and practical support until her untimely death at 27. This biography beautifully captures their profound relationship and the clash

After the huge national and international success of Longitude' and Gallileo's Daughter', Dava Sobel tells the human story of the nine planets of our solar system.

'A biographical orrery - intricate, complex and fascinating' The Observer 'A peerless intellectual biography. The Glass Universe shines and twinkles as brightly as the stars themselves' Economist Bestselling author Dava Sobel returns with a captivating, little-known true story of women in science Before they even had the right to vote, a group of remarkable women were employed by Harvard College Observatory as 'Human Computers' to interpret the observations made via telescope by their male counterparts each night. The author of Longitude, Galileo's Daughter and The Planets shines light on the hidden history of these extraordinary women who changed the burgeoning field of astronomy and our understanding of the stars and our place in the universe.

By 1514, the reclusive cleric Nicolaus Copernicus had developed an initial outline of his heliocentric theory-in which he defied common sense and received wisdom to place the sun, and not the earth, at the center of our universe, and set the earth spinning among the other planets. Over the next two decades, Copernicus expanded his theory and compiled in secret a book-length manuscript that tantalized mathematicians and scientists throughout Europe. For fear of ridicule, he refused to publish. In 1539, a young German mathematician, Georg Joachim Rheticus, drawn by rumors of a revolution to rival the religious upheaval of Martin Luther's Reformation, traveled to Poland to seek out Copernicus. Two years later, the Protestant youth took leave of his aging Catholic mentor and arranged to have Copernicus's manuscript published, in 1543, as De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres)-the book that forever changed humankind's place in the universe. In her elegant, compelling style, Dava Sobel chronicles, as nobody has, the conflicting personalities and extraordinary discoveries that shaped the Copernican Revolution. At the heart of the book is her play "And the Sun Stood Still," imagining Rheticus's struggle to convince Copernicus to let his manuscript see the light of day.

Focusing on the life and contributions of a groundbreaking female scientist, the book explores her significant impact on the field and highlights the lesser-known stories of the young women who trained in her laboratory. Through a blend of biography and historical context, it sheds light on their struggles and achievements, offering a fresh perspective on women's roles in science. The narrative emphasizes both the individual's legacy and the collective experiences of women in a male-dominated profession.

In einer Zeit, als Edison mit seiner elektrischen Glühbirne für Aufsehen sorgte, begannen Frauen an der amerikanischen Ostküste, die Gestirne zu erkunden. In den 1880er-Jahren engagierte ein Professor der Harvard University Frauen als „Computer“ am Observatorium. Dazu gehörten nicht nur Angehörige von Astronomen, sondern auch Absolventinnen neuer Frauen-Colleges und leidenschaftliche Sternbeobachterinnen. Diese Frauen leisteten Erstaunliches: Williamina Fleming, eine ledige Mutter und ehemalige Haushälterin, entdeckte rund 300 Sterne, während Antonia Maury eine eigene Klassifikation der Planeten entwickelte, die als Grundstein der modernen Astrophysik gilt. Dennoch fanden nur wenige von ihnen später die verdiente Anerkennung. Dava Sobel widmet sich in ihrem neuen Buch dem Wirken dieser ambitionierten Wissenschaftlerinnen und setzt ihnen ein Denkmal. Die Autorin hat intensiv recherchiert und präsentiert ihre Erkenntnisse auf spannende und persönliche Weise. Sobels Werk sensibilisiert die Leser für historische Geschlechterungleichheiten in der Wissenschaft und zeigt, dass unser Wissen über den Nachthimmel auf den Verdiensten beider Geschlechter beruht. Es ist ein lebendiges Porträt fast vergessener Wissenschaftlerinnen, die entscheidend zur Entwicklung der Astrophysik beitrugen.

W drugiej połowie XIX wieku Obserwatorium Harvarda zaczęło zatrudniać kobiety na stanowiskach obliczeniowców, tzw. ludzkich komputerów. Ich zadaniem było interpretowanie obserwacji teleskopowych wykonywanych co noc przez męskich pracowników instytucji. Początkowo grupa ta składała się z żon, sióstr i córek astronomów, ale wkrótce jej szeregi zasiliły absolwentki nowych college’ów dla kobiet – Vassar, Wellesley oraz Smith. Kiedy fotografia zmieniła sposób uprawiania astronomii, kobiety przeniosły uwagę z obliczeń na badanie gwiazd utrwalanych każdej nocy na szklanych płytach fotograficznych. „Szklany wszechświat”, składający się z pół miliona płyt przez dekady gromadzonych przez Uniwersytet Harvarda, umożliwił kobietom dokonanie niesamowitych odkryć, dzięki którym ich nazwiska zajęły honorowe miejsce w dziejach astronomii. Były to: Williamina Fleming, Antonia Maury, Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon oraz Cecilia Payne. Książka Szklany wszechświat, wzbogacona fragmentami listów, dzienników i pamiętników, to ukryta historia kobiet, których wkład w rozwój astronomii na zawsze zmienił sposób rozumienia gwiazd oraz naszego miejsca we Wszechświecie.