The Complete History of Science

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  I Follow Archimedes [Galileo - Part 1] 10.10.2026 21min

  In 1583, Galileo Galilei was eighteen years old and enrolled as a medical student at the University of Pisa. On the surface, life was good. There was, however, one problem: he couldn't stand medicine. We begin with his early years, from his musician father and difficult mother to the monks who very nearly kept him for good. Nicknamed The Wrangler for arguing with his professors, Galileo slipped uninvited into a lecture on geometry and was captivated. Mathematics was poorly paid and held in lo...
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  Special: The History of Reproductive Science with Prof. Michael Carroll 22.03.2026 1godz 12min

  Michael, an Associate Professor in Reproductive Science, joins us for a wide-ranging dive into the history of reproductive science. From ancient Galenic theories and Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings, through the gradual unravelling of how sperm and eggs work, to the breakthroughs that ultimately made IVF possible. We trace the key milestones: sperm capacitation, early animal studies, and the pioneering work of Edwards, Steptoe, and Purdy that led to the birth of Louise Brown in 1...
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  The Harmony of Johannes Kepler [Kepler - Part 4] 25.01.2026 43min

  In 1610 reports reached Prague that Galileo had discovered new planets, and Kepler felt compelled to find out for himself what had actually been seen. Reading Starry Messenger and later observing through a borrowed telescope, he became one of Galileo’s earliest and most important defenders. Kepler not only confirmed the existence of Jupiter’s moons but also argued publicly for the reliability of telescopic observations, and went further by explaining, for the first time, how the telescope wor...
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  Christmas Special 2025 - Q and A 24.12.2025 28min

  Merry Christmas! Answering listener questions as well as some long standing FAQs. Enjoy! Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https://thecompletehistoryofscience.com/ Contact: [email protected] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/gethinrichards.bsky.social Music Credit: Folk Round Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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  The New Astronomy [Kepler - Part 3] 14.11.2025 39min

  After years of struggle, Johannes Kepler finally had the tools and data to wage what he called his “War with Mars.” Rejecting ancient assumptions he used Tycho Brahe’s observations to discover his first two laws of planetary motion. His New Astronomy not only redefined celestial mechanics but transformed astronomy from a geometric art into a true physical science. Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https...
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  Let Me Not Seem to Have Lived in Vain [Kepler - Part 2] 10.11.2025 34min

  In 1600, Johannes Kepler arrived at Tycho Brahe’s castle hoping to escape religious persecution and gain access to the most precise astronomical data in Europe. Their relationship was strained by clashing temperaments — Tycho’s secrecy and pride meeting Kepler’s impatience and ambition — yet their collaboration began to bear fruit as Kepler tackled problems of planetary motion and optical theory. Despite constant uncertainty, Kepler’s time at Benátky marked the beginning of a partnershi...
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  Secrets of the Universe [Kepler - Part 1] 28.09.2025 42min

  Johannes Kepler rose from a difficult childhood to become a brilliant but unconventional student, deeply influenced by his Lutheran faith, Copernican astronomy, and a belief in divine harmony within the cosmos. In Graz he developed his bold first theory, published in Mysterium Cosmographicum, which linked the orbits of the planets to the five Platonic solids and made him one of the earliest open defenders of heliocentrism. Facing religious persecution and desperate for accurate data, Ke...
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  Tycho's World System [Tycho Brahe Part 3] 20.06.2025 28min

  Tycho Brahe’s observations of the Great Comet of 1577 and his discovery of atmospheric refraction led him to reject solid celestial spheres and reassess the structure of the cosmos. Seeking an alternative to both the Ptolemaic and Copernican systems, he developed a geo-heliocentric model in which the Sun orbited the Earth while the planets orbited the Sun, a theory he supported with years of precise measurements, including a (mistaken) parallax for Mars. Though he failed to find definitive pr...
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  Hven is a Place on Earth [Tycho Brahe Part 2] 15.06.2025 21min

  In 1576, Tycho Brahe was offered something no astronomer had ever received before: an island of his own. On the remote Baltic isle of Hven, Tycho set out to build the most advanced observatory in Europe. But just as construction began, a brilliant comet appeared in the night sky. For Tycho, it was more than a celestial spectacle: it was a chance to test Aristotle, challenge old ideas, and prove that careful observation could overturn centuries of dogma. This episode traces Tycho’s...
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  A New Star [Tycho Brahe Part 1] 14.06.2025 35min

  13/06/25 - Episode was removed due to audio errors and reuploaded. Sorry! In 1572, a mysterious new star appeared in the sky, defying the ancient belief that the heavens never changed. Tycho Brahe, a Danish nobleman with a passion for astronomy, set out to uncover the truth. His meticulous observations challenged established ideas and sparked debates among scholars. But Tycho’s journey wasn’t just about science, it was a struggle against family expectations, social norms, and the limits...
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  The Lodestone, the Compass and the Magnetic Earth 25.05.2025 31min

  In this episode we trace the early development of magnetism and the compass—from ancient Chinese navigation to the groundbreaking insights of medieval and Renaissance Europe. The episode highlights the work of Peter Peregrinus, a 13th-century scholar whose detailed experiments with magnets laid the foundation for future magnetic science, and Robert Norman, who devised a method to reveal the mysterious “dip” of the magnetic needle. It also explores early efforts to understand magnetic dec...
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  Circulation! [William Harvey Part 3] 18.01.2025 23min

  At the start of the 17th century Harvey finally put all of the pieces in place. He had discovered that blood circulates through the body with the heart acting as a pump. Realising that he was undermining a millenia of Galenism, he set out carefully, working to convince his peers of his discovery. He made many public demonstrations to support his findings, meeting both support and controversy. Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.p...
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  Be Still My Beating Heart [William Harvey Part 2] 11.01.2025 20min

  In 1602, William Harvey joined the College of Physicians to secure his medical career, but behind the scenes, he was conducting bold anatomical research. Through dissections, vivisections, and innovative experiments on blood flow and the heart, Harvey began challenging Galen’s teachings. His relentless curiosity would soon lead to the groundbreaking discovery of blood circulation. Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryo...
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  Aristotle My General, Fabricius My Guide [William Harvey Part 1] 27.12.2024 18min

  In late 1599, William Harvey, having completed his B.A. at Cambridge, sought further education abroad. His father, a successful businessman, funded his journey to Padua, a renowned center of medical learning. At Padua, Harvey encountered the teachings of Aristotle, particularly the idea of understanding the "final cause" of things, which influenced his approach to medicine. He also studied under Hieronymous Fabricius, who combined Aristotelian philosophy with detailed dissections, shapi...
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  Fallopio and Fabricius 11.11.2024 22min

  Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https://thecompletehistoryofscience.com/ Contact: [email protected] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/gethinrichards.bsky.social Music Credit: Folk Round Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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  Realdo Colombo and the Pulmonary Transit of the Blood 05.10.2024 19min

  Realdo Colombo, a former student and colleague of Vesalius, challenged aspects of Galenic anatomy and made significant strides in understanding blood circulation. Through vivisection, Colombo discovered that blood circulates through the lungs, a finding that corrected earlier theories and contributed to a major shift in Renaissance anatomical and physiological studies. His work, though not initially credited, played a crucial role in advancing medical knowledge and laid the groundwork f...
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  The Book of the Body [Vesalius Part 2] 19.07.2024 24min

  Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https://thecompletehistoryofscience.com/ Contact: [email protected] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/gethinrichards.bsky.social Music Credit: Folk Round Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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  The World of Andreas Vesalius [Vesalius Part 1] 08.07.2024 21min

  The background and early life of the great renaissance anatomist Andreas Vesalius. Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https://thecompletehistoryofscience.com/ Contact: [email protected] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/gethinrichards.bsky.social Music Credit: Folk Round Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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  On the Revolutions [Copernicus Part 2] 17.03.2024 22min

  This episode explores the pivotal encounter in Nicolaus Copernicus's later life when he met the young mathematician known as Rheticus. Rheticus, a prodigy from the University of Wittenberg, sought out Copernicus in Frombork, Poland, to learn more about his heliocentric theory. Despite their differences, Rheticus and Copernicus's collaboration that resulted in the publication of Copernicus's groundbreaking work, 'On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres.' Support the show Support the s...
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  A More Reasonable Arrangement [Copernicus Part 1] 11.03.2024 30min

  In this episode we delve into the early life of Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who challenged the geocentric model of the universe. From his upbringing in Torun, Poland, to his academic journey at Jagiellonian University and travels to Bologna and Rome, follow Copernicus's passion for astronomy amid societal expectations. Discover the pivotal moments that led to his groundbreaking heliocentric model, which revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos. Support the show Support the show ...