WEBVTT 1 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:21.879 Hello, and welcome to Western Sieve. Episode two hundred and sixty seven. 2 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:31.399 Copernicus part four by comparing Coupernicus to Reggio Montanus and Ptolemy, Reddicus conveyed that 3 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:37.159 he was greatly impressed with Copernicus's work. In the pages of Copernicus's manuscript, 4 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:43.399 Redicus observed the manifestation of a brilliant mind and a man who was also patient, 5 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:48.759 diligent, and respectful of the greatest astronomers who had preceded him. It 6 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:53.000 was a long work. The English translation is about four hundred book pages, 7 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:59.200 composed of lengthy tables with data on the motions of the heavenly bodies, numerous 8 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:06.359 geometric diagrams, page upon page of trigonometric and algebraic expressions, instructions on how 9 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:11.159 to build and use astronomical instruments, and of course, the description of his 10 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:15.680 new model of the heavens. Redicus wrote, quote, but from the time 11 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:21.200 that I became, by God's will, a spectator and witness of the labors 12 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:26.000 which my teacher performs with an energetic mind, and has in large measure already 13 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:30.760 accomplished, I realized that I had not dreamed of even the shadow of so 14 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:34.400 great a burden of work, and it is so great a labor that it 15 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:38.239 is not any hero who can endure it and finally complete it end quote. 16 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:45.680 The manuscript is divided into six parts. The first was a quote general description 17 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:49.959 of the universe end quote. The outline of the sun centered universe was presented 18 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:56.000 in this early section. The second explored the quote doctrine of the first motion 19 00:01:56.319 --> 00:02:00.120 end quote, a term used to describe the perceived motion of the fixed stars, 20 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:06.000 the specks of light in the night sky that always remained their position in 21 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:09.680 relation to the heavenly bodies. The third book focused on the Sun, the 22 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:15.280 fourth the moon and lunar eclipses, the fifth the motions of the other planets, 23 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:21.800 and the sixth discussed the celestial latitudes of the planets. From everything that 24 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:27.560 transpired over the next several months, two developments must have occurred. First, 25 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:32.599 Rhedicus quickly realized that the manuscript that he was reading was extraordinary in its originality 26 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:39.280 and ambition, and he told Copernicus of this. Second, Rhedicus asked Copernicus 27 00:02:39.319 --> 00:02:45.120 if he could write a manuscript that attempted to summarize and explain what was in 28 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:51.400 the several major sections of the work Coupernicus agreed. Over the next sixteen weeks 29 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:57.800 from late May to late September, Rhedicus read and absorbed most of the complicated 30 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:02.879 manuscript, conferred with Copernicus often, and then wrote a refined and polished manuscript 31 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:12.879 containing his own summary of Copernicus's heliocentric system. The resulting book entitled Naratio Prima, 32 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:19.240 which means the first report was to introduce the world to this new heliocentric 33 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:23.479 theory. In the pages of the Naratio Prima and in a preface to the 34 00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:29.560 book that he wrote a little over a decade later, Rehdicus provided several fascinating 35 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:34.599 glimpses of how Copernicus worked, how the two astronomers interacted with each other, 36 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:39.080 what they talked about during these watershed months, how Rhdicus himself worked, and 37 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:45.120 what he did during his months in Warmia. The portrait of Copernicus and the 38 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:49.639 buoyant tone of the Naratia showed that both men were enthralled to be engaged with 39 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:54.680 one another. Outside of Copernicus's house, the atmosphere was growing increasingly difficult for 40 00:03:54.719 --> 00:04:00.879 both men. Rheticus was a Lutheran and now openly defied Bishop Danticus's recent order 41 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:06.199 to leave Varmia. Copernicus was still dealing with the Anna Shilling affair. But 42 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:12.039 within the safe walls of Copernicus's house, the two men could push away all 43 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:15.040 that and focus, and when it brought them together a mutual love of astronomy. 44 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:20.560 Rhdicus left us this description in the Natioprima of the two men working together. 45 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:27.639 I remember myself being driven by juvenile curiosity. I wished to hasten to 46 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:31.160 the stars sanctuary. So agreeing with the very good and great man Copernicus, 47 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:35.920 I sometimes blame the painstaking attention to detail, but he was bewildered by my 48 00:04:35.959 --> 00:04:40.680 soul's on his thirst, and with a soft arm he used to exhort me 49 00:04:40.759 --> 00:04:45.319 to take my hand off the tables. Personally, he said, if I 50 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.439 could get the truth from a sixth part, which an increment of ten minutes, 51 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:51.639 my spirit would exult as much as when received by the discovery of the 52 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:59.199 formula and the ratios by Pythagoras. Hddicus continued, he wanted his researchers to 53 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:03.120 be above average rich. That's why he avoided grindings, not by inertia nor 54 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:09.959 by fear of boredom. Some people seek and even require those little gains, 55 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:14.959 like Puerbach in the subtlety of his tables of eclipses, they can see them 56 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:18.680 with all the care taken to locate the stars with precision. While they are 57 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:23.879 impressed by the seconds, thirds, fourth, fifths, and little divisions, 58 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:28.519 they forget the integer parts, not giving them a single look, and in 59 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:33.160 the small interval times of the phenomena, they often are wrong by hours and 60 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:39.800 sometimes entire days. There's an amazing fable of ASoP where an order is given 61 00:05:39.959 --> 00:05:43.920 to search for a lost cow. It is found, but the men who 62 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:46.959 are to bring it back see little birds and go after them forgetting the cow 63 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:56.199 end quote. Essentially, what Reddicus is saying here is that Copernicus has a 64 00:05:56.279 --> 00:06:00.879 great ability to see not just the trees, but the forest, to see 65 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:05.439 the big picture and how all of the different component parts fit together, whereas 66 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:11.720 previous astronomers had focused solely on creating minute tables. To an extent, this 67 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:15.879 is true, but to an extent, Kaupernicus was also taking advantage of the 68 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:20.120 painstaking labor that had been done by other men before him. In mid July, 69 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:26.040 Rheticus and Copernicus traveled to the nearby castle of Lubwa, at the invitation 70 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:31.120 of Copernicus's best friend, Teedman Geese. There, Geese managed to provide Coupernicus 71 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:36.399 with a bit of rest and relaxation. Both men needed it. Rheticus had 72 00:06:36.439 --> 00:06:42.000 been ill since Sprang, but in Luba he recovered. Even the recovery and 73 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:46.199 relaxation was not going to impair the fruitful period. Geese had urged the two 74 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:50.480 men to journey to Lubwa so that he could revisit the topic that Copernicus had 75 00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:56.439 waived off many times in the past. The publication of his astronomical manuscript. 76 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:01.240 With Rehddicus there to support him, perhaps geese plea would be heard and probably 77 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:08.079 the single most meaningful scientific exchange found in Kapernicus his sources. Reddicus recorded a 78 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:14.240 discussion between Copernicus and Geese about how to publish his important work. It's difficult 79 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:19.240 to discern whether Redicus witnessed a single discussion or whether his account was a conflation 80 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:25.720 of years worth of prodding by Geese. Chances are Rehdicus observed at least one 81 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:30.160 discussion in which all the issues were aired, but it surely was not the 82 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:34.399 first time that such a discussion had taken place in the Narratio Prima, Redicus 83 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:40.439 writes quote, he Geese realized that it would be of no small importance to 84 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:44.319 the glory of Christ if there existed a proper calendar of events in a church 85 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:48.560 and a correct theory and explanation of the motions. He did not cease urging 86 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:53.519 my teacher, whose accomplishments and insight he had known for many years, to 87 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:57.639 take up the problem, until he persuaded him to do so. Since my 88 00:07:57.720 --> 00:08:01.800 teacher saw the scientific world also stood in need of improvement of the motions, 89 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:05.879 he readily yielded to the entreaties of his friend. He promised that he would 90 00:08:05.959 --> 00:08:09.879 draw up astronomical tables with new rules, and that if his work had any 91 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:16.319 value, he would not keep it from the world end quote. Toward the 92 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:20.199 end of summer, Rheticus and Copernicus left Luba for home. The two reached 93 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:26.519 fromborg on Or about September the twenty third, fifteen thirty nine. By then 94 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:31.399 Rheticus at least it was ready to publish his work. Not Atioprima, was 95 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:35.360 effectively an overview of his time spent with Copernicus. To this day, it 96 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:41.840 remains the best primer on copernicu and Heliocentrism. In this book, Rheticus is 97 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:48.399 careful to compliment Ptolema Aristotle in the Ancients. He never describes Copernicus as a 98 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:54.960 revolutionary and makes numerous references to God throughout his work. The Narratioprima is a 99 00:08:54.000 --> 00:09:01.200 summary of Copernicus's manuscript, but it does not address heliocentrism the moving Earth theory 100 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:05.840 immediately. Then, about one quarter of the way into then the Nathioprima, 101 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:13.879 Rheticus finally begins to discuss and highlight Copernicus's work. He reluctantly states the Ptolemay's 102 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:18.759 model cannot explain the movements of celestial bodies in a consistent way, so quote 103 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:26.159 it was therefore necessary for my teacher Copernicus to devise a new hypothesis end quote. 104 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:31.039 A few pages later, the heliocentric theory is revealed for the first time 105 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:37.799 ever in a printed book. Quote. The planets are each year observed as 106 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:43.440 direct stationary retrograde near to and a remote from the Earth, etc. These 107 00:09:43.480 --> 00:09:48.919 phenomena the sides being ascribed to the planets can be explained, as my teacher 108 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:54.919 shows, by a regular motion of the spherical Earth, that is, by 109 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:58.799 having the Sun occupied the center of the universe, while the Earth revolves instead 110 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:03.799 of the Sun on the east centric which it has pleased him to name the 111 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:07.519 Great Circle. Indeed, there is something divine in the circumstance that a sure 112 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:13.919 understanding of celestial phenomenon must depend on the regular and uniform motion of the terrestrial 113 00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:20.320 globe alone. Redicus goes on to discuss the second stunner in Copernicus' model. 114 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:24.879 The Earth, like the ball on a lathe rotates from west to east as 115 00:10:24.919 --> 00:10:30.440 God's will ordains, and by this motion the terrestrial globe produces day and night. 116 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:35.679 In mid February fifteen forty a batch of the preliminary pages of the Naratio 117 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:41.759 made their way to Wittenberg and the desk of Melanthon. He was clearly captivated. 118 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:46.039 After a lengthy comment on Rerdicus's passage in his book about the second Coming 119 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:50.159 of Christ and the determining of the price age of the Earth, Melanthon says, 120 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:54.759 quote, Yet enough of this, of that above. Just as I 121 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:58.879 ask you again and again that you offer me your friendship, I ask that 122 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:03.519 you apply yourself dillly and win over the friendship of that man Copernicus for me 123 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:07.320 as well. I don't risk writing him at the present, and although I 124 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:11.519 didn't intend to, you will certainly keep my triflings from him. End quote. 125 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:16.960 Then in August of that year, Johannes Petreus, the Nuremberg publisher, 126 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:20.679 did something strange. He dedicated a book to Rheticus in the form of a 127 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:26.519 letter, and in that letter he boldly adds Rheticus to convince Copernicus to publish 128 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.480 his long awaited book and publish it with him Petreus in Nuremberg. After congratulating 129 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:37.159 Rheticus and the Naratio, calling it splendid, he states that quote, I 130 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:41.679 consider it a glorious treasure if someday, through your urging, his observations will 131 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:46.799 be imparted to us end quote. Patreus hoped that Rheticus would see the dedication 132 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:52.480 as a kind of reward. Then, to close the deal, Petreus finishes 133 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:56.120 his letter by reminding Rheticus how Nuremberg is a major trading hub, that his 134 00:11:56.159 --> 00:12:01.960 publishing company is able to distribute books to every corner of Europe, and that 135 00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:05.159 schooner the scholar who had taken such a good care of Rheticus during his stay 136 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:09.919 and had taught him much. Also wants to see Copernicus published in Nuremberg. 137 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:16.159 Quote it will fall on you not only to commend our service, but also 138 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:22.200 to acknowledge and proclaim the great favor of Schooner toward you. End quote. 139 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:28.159 With this level of support, Copernicus finally caved. He would publish on the 140 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:35.080 Heavenly Bodies. He would publish his entire manuscript. This was hundreds of pages 141 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:41.840 long, so over the next year Kapernicus painstakingly revised and updated his massive work. 142 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:46.679 Rheticus was there to help him, but Copernicus did the vast majority of 143 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:52.720 the work himself. Quick aside. In late fifteen forty Rheticus returned to Wittenberg 144 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:56.320 to teach an introduction to astronomy, but he quickly returned to Fromborg to help 145 00:12:56.320 --> 00:13:05.240 with the manuscript as another aside. Incredibly, we still have Copernicus's original manuscript, 146 00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:09.480 by the way, somehow, some way, it survived nearly five centuries. 147 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:18.080 In late summer fifteen forty one, Copernicus finished his task. His monumental 148 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:24.279 work was done. From here on out, its publication would be the responsibility 149 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:30.200 of others. Rehdiicus could not miss another semester at the University of Wittenberg. 150 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:35.360 So in September late September fifteen forty one, they said goodbye to Kapernicus and 151 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:41.759 began his journey back to the university. Rehdiicus had spent over two years in 152 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:48.240 Varmia and before that eight months in the Nuremberg area. Except for his brief 153 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:54.200 return to the University of Wittenberg in the winter of fifteen forty fifteen forty one, 154 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.399 he had been away from his home university for almost three years. Rheticus 155 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:03.960 should returned as a conquering hero, the author of a much talked about book 156 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:09.840 and the lone disciple of a visionary astronomer, and he possessed the most acclaimed 157 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:15.600 unpublished manuscript in all of Europe. His reception in Wittenberg, though, was 158 00:14:15.639 --> 00:14:20.679 mixed. Back in June fifteen thirty nine, just as Rheticus had arrived in 159 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.480 Fromberg, Luther had said at one of his dinner seminars quote, there is 160 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:30.120 mention of a certain a new astrologer who wanted to prove that the Earth moves, 161 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:33.320 and not the sky, the sun and the moon. This would be 162 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:35.399 as if somebody were riding on a cart or in a ship, and imagine 163 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:39.360 that he was standing still while the earth and trees were moving. So it 164 00:14:39.399 --> 00:14:46.000 goes now, whoever wants to be clever must agree with nothing that others esteem. 165 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:50.080 I believe the Holy Scriptures, for Joshua commanded the sun to stand still 166 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:56.120 and not the earth end quote. Despite Luther's criticisms, most of the university 167 00:14:56.279 --> 00:15:01.399 was happy to have Rhedicus back. They had all read the Naratio Premia and 168 00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:05.039 realized that he was leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else in the field. 169 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:11.039 In fact, immediately upon his return, Rheticus found himself elected the new dean 170 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:18.919 of faculty. When the spring semester ended, Rheticus Copernicus's manuscript in tow headed 171 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:24.440 south to Nuremberg. He gave Petrayus the manuscript and the printer immediately set himself 172 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:28.440 to work. At this point, the only portions of the book that needed 173 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:31.840 finishing were the preface in the introduction. Now, of course, printing books 174 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:35.799 took a long time in the sixteenth century, and Rheticus had to get back 175 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:41.039 to Wittenberg before the job was done. Before Rheticus left, he and Petrayus 176 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:46.879 decided that the book still needed an expert overseer. The person asked to assume 177 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:52.519 this role was nonetheless Andreas Osiander, the theologian and philosopher who had come to 178 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:58.279 know Rheticus back in fifteen thirty eight, and who had taken such an intense 179 00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:03.600 interest in Kupernicus his theory once he read the narratio. He had written or 180 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:07.720 edited five books with Petrayus since fifteen forty, so he was also just the 181 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:12.879 logical choice for kind of an editor. Recall that Oceander had corresponded with Copernicus 182 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:18.840 in fifteen forty one, and that Copernicus had specifically asked for his suggestion as 183 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:23.000 to how to minimize the uproar that might await his book. Ociander had answered 184 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:29.440 that one way might be to present the underlying theory in the book as a 185 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:34.000 mere hypothesis and essentially say to the reader, don't worry much about the theory, 186 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:38.919 it's just kind of the results that matter. Copernicus rejected this idea, 187 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:44.720 but Osiander had always held strong to his opinion. It seems to have been 188 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:49.000 in his character. He was unbelievably stubborn in his beliefs, especially his theological 189 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:53.799 beliefs, and he had actually burned so many Bridges by this time in Nuremberg 190 00:16:53.879 --> 00:17:00.720 that he was effectively neutralized. He was certain like a statement like the one 191 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:07.720 that he endorsed that he believed should begin Copernicus's book. So Oceander took advantage 192 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:15.480 of his new position and essentially secretly slipped in a page. On this page 193 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:21.759 he put the correction that he wanted to all along. He wanted to explain 194 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:27.799 that this was a hypothesis and not necessarily a theory. The problem with it 195 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:36.000 was Oceander decided to do this anonymously. So when you read on the Revolutions 196 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:40.680 of the Heavenly Bodies and you look at this first page, if you read 197 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:44.759 it nowadays, it's been corrected. It I checked, it says Oceander on 198 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:49.200 there. But if you look at the original, it looks like Copernicus wrote 199 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:55.519 the first page, So it looks like it's these authors assertion, which of 200 00:17:55.559 --> 00:18:04.079 course it isn't. So it's extremely dreamely misleading and something definitely that Oceanders should 201 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:11.160 not have done. Moreover, Oceander went on to make all kinds of other 202 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:17.799 assertions in this preface. He wrote for this art, astronomy is completely and 203 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:23.119 absolutely ignorant of the causes of the apparent non uniform motions, and if any 204 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:30.839 causes are devised by the imagination, as indeed very many are, they are 205 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:34.640 not put forward to convince anyone that they are true, but merely to provide 206 00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:41.680 a reliable basis for computation. Therefore, alongside the ancient hypothesis, which are 207 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:48.160 no more probable, let us permit these new hypothesis also become known. So 208 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:53.640 far as hypotheses are concerned, Let no one expect anything certain from astronomy which 209 00:18:53.680 --> 00:19:00.160 cannot furnish it, lest he accept as the truth ideas conceived for another their 210 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:07.440 purpose end quote. So essentially, what he's doing here is almost arguing that 211 00:19:07.880 --> 00:19:17.599 astronomy isn't a science, which is again terribly misleading and something that Copernicus never 212 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:21.079 would have agreed to in a million years, and it's going to have really 213 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:26.000 negative consequences unfortunately for the book going forward. It's it really is a shame 214 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:33.319 for Redicus and Copernicus that their work is essentially spoiled by Oceander at the last 215 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:38.720 moment, and even worse, disaster struck on December eighth, fifteen forty two. 216 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:45.559 On that day, Copernicus, back in Fromborg suffered a debilitating stroke. 217 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:49.359 He survived, but he would be crippled for the rest of his short life, 218 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:53.599 and he would be in no position to defend his life work or to 219 00:19:53.680 --> 00:20:00.680 make corrections based off of Oceander's mistakes. The law on Awaited manuscript finally rolled 220 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:04.799 off the press at the end of March fifteen forty three. Few involved with 221 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:12.359 the work enjoyed its publication. Gee was furious about the anonymous preface. He 222 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:18.200 wrote to the Nuremberg Town Council, demanding that Petreus be punished for publishing it 223 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:23.720 like that. Even though it's actually pretty clear that Petreus didn't know that Ocander 224 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:27.960 had slipped this in. He likely thought it was supposed to have been included. 225 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:34.599 Didn't matter. Peace also demanded that Petreus issue a reprint, taking the 226 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:41.440 preface out now. Petreus ultimately didn't suffer any consequences, but he was deeply 227 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:48.480 embarrassed by the whole affair. Rheticus was also upset when he opened his copy. 228 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:53.720 Copernicus left numerous thank yous in the acknowledgment section, but he didn't mention 229 00:20:53.839 --> 00:21:00.519 Rheticus at all, and neither did the book's author get to joy its publication. 230 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:07.000 As it was finished, he laid dying in frombork On. The Revolutions 231 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:14.480 consists of six books. The books are composed of many short chapters. The 232 00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:19.200 work itself is carefully organized. A Copernicus took pains to provide good transitions, 233 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:26.160 introductions, conclusions, and passages meant to help the reader know what has already 234 00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:30.279 been covered and what is coming next. But the book is, i suppose, 235 00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:40.920 rather unapologetically technical. There's pages upon pages of math and computations, complicated 236 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:48.519 drawings, and dense tables of numbers. Book one is a general introduction to 237 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:53.000 the model. Copernicus first discusses the importance of astronomy, and then he begins 238 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:59.440 his presentation. The universe is a sphere, as is the Earth. The 239 00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:03.359 movements the celestial bodies are regular and circular, and the Earth two has a 240 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:10.200 circular motion. All of the heavenly bodies move with the uniform speed, which 241 00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:14.640 is a critical component of his model. Very early in the book, no 242 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:18.640 more than twenty pages in, he describes the quote movement of the Earth end 243 00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:23.880 quote. That is that our planet rotates once every twenty four hours, that 244 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:30.119 it revolves around the Sun once every three hundred and sixty five days. Book 245 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:36.680 two discusses the rotation of the Earth itself and the angle of inclination of the 246 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:41.160 axis. Within this section, the author describes how to construct an astrolab, 247 00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:47.720 which is used to examine the position of the moons and stars. Copernicus points 248 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:52.559 out, but the Earth's rotation and the revolution are slow and natural, and 249 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:56.440 that's why the planet doesn't break apart in the atmosphere does not blow away. 250 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:02.880 Book three addresses the movement of the Earth around the Sun. The remaining three 251 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:07.480 books described the movement of the Moon and of the other planets. There was 252 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:15.400 no doubt that Nicholas Copernicus's book was a remarkable achievement. That much was obvious 253 00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:19.720 to just about every reader, but because of its complexity, not much else 254 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:27.880 was. Most interested readers would need some help to understand its implications, but 255 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:33.279 Copernicus would not be the one to give the clarification. On May twenty fourth, 256 00:23:33.400 --> 00:23:38.319 fifteen forty three, he died, most likely due to a hemorrhage and 257 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:45.799 the subsequent paralysis of his right side. The father of modern astronomy was buried 258 00:23:45.079 --> 00:23:52.559 inside the from Book Cathedral near the main altar. Except for Redicus, most 259 00:23:52.599 --> 00:23:56.839 of those who played a major role in the creation of the manuscript, died 260 00:23:56.920 --> 00:24:03.720 soon after its publication. Martin lu died in fifteen forty six, Johann Schooner 261 00:24:03.079 --> 00:24:10.640 died in fifteen forty seven, and Bishop Danticus in fifteen forty eight. It 262 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:17.759 was up to Rheticus to direct the Copernican Revolution. Flash forward to the fall 263 00:24:17.799 --> 00:24:22.400 of fifteen forty two. Rheticus was about to begin his new position at the 264 00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:26.400 University of Leipzig, when they would pay him significantly more than other professors there, 265 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:30.079 and much more than he had been paid by the University of Wittenberg. 266 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:37.319 He was a celebrity among astronomers thanks to his writing of the Naratio Prima and 267 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:41.640 his well known role in the preparation of On the Revolutions. He was only 268 00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:47.799 twenty eight years old, and he had impressed the finest publisher in Nuremberg, 269 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:52.720 the top astrologer and one of the leading theologians. There must have been days 270 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:57.079 when he pinched himself overall that had transpired since his first visit to Nuremberg in 271 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:03.039 the fall of fifteen thirty eight, four years earlier, and there was every 272 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:07.440 reason to suppose that this was just the beginning of a brilliant career. The 273 00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:11.880 publication of On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies would send shock waves throughout Europe, 274 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:17.599 and with Copernicus and failing health, Redicus would be the leader of the 275 00:25:17.640 --> 00:25:27.000 Copernican Revolution. Rehdicus could be the next Reggio Montanas and then nothing. It 276 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:33.759 didn't happen. Although he lived another thirty two years and had several moments of 277 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:41.200 acclaim, he never came close to equaling the astounding four years between fifteen thirty 278 00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:45.480 eight and fifteen forty two. Rehddicus died of pneumonia on December fourth, fifteen 279 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:52.279 seventy four. He was never able to recapture those few glorious years working at 280 00:25:52.279 --> 00:26:00.759 Copernicus's side. Twenty two years later, Redicus's work Opus Polentium de Triangulus was 281 00:26:00.839 --> 00:26:07.279 published, providing Europeans with the most up to date trigonometric tables. Sadly, 282 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:14.240 Redicus never lived to see people use them. The scholar most responsible for the 283 00:26:14.279 --> 00:26:19.319 immediate positive impact of On the Revolutions was a man by the name of Erasmus 284 00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:27.079 Reinhold. Reinhold was also a professor at the University of Wittenberg. Reinhold gave 285 00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:34.160 Europeans what they wanted, a practical way to use Copernicus's work. He published 286 00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:42.400 a series of astronomical tables based on copernicuses on revolutions in fifteen fifty one. 287 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:51.079 Yet, just as Reggio Montanus left behind no equally talented air, neither did 288 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:57.119 Copernicus. Europeans would need to wait. They would need to wait Fritico Brahey 289 00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:04.400 and for Galileo. Now, originally I was going to go straight to Galileo, 290 00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:10.440 but after himming and hawing over the last two months or so, I 291 00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:15.000 decided I simply can't skip Tico bra Hey, and so next week we're going 292 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:21.440 to cover him and then jump straight into Galileo from there in the intim If 293 00:27:21.480 --> 00:27:23.160 you'd like any additional content, check off the links in the show notes. 294 00:27:23.519 --> 00:27:26.599 Got the website, There got the Patreon, There got the Western Stent podcast. 295 00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:30.319 There two point zero with its free trial. It's all there. If 296 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:32.720 you're interested, check it out.