After Mother Marylen and I took a guided tour of the West Point Academy grounds in the morning, we visited the USMA Museum and then had a family dinner at the Thayer Hotel with my sister, Robin Bishop and her husband Bruce. We sat outside on the eve of the Autumnal Equinox and had a magnificent feast at the seafood buffet. The Riesling was very good. We were talking about how artillery and knowledge win wars. I was telling about Archimedes. We know that Archimedes was able to defend the City of Syracuse against the Romans for (12) years because of his “careful sighting and ranging of the catapults.” His knowledge of Mathematics allowed him to do this. Because of the newly discovered Archimedes’ Codex, and the new understanding from that lost work, we now know that Archimedes had in fact discovered the Calculus in 214 BCE. We were discussing the implications for the History of Science, when the full Moon began to set – mercifully for my family because it stopped me from talking. The reflection of the Moon on the Hudson River was accompanied by a warm breeze off the River and the sounds of music and laughing from the Zulu Bar beyond. It was picturesque. It was a perfect end to our evening and a wonderful day. archimedespalimpsest.org/
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 04:08:12 +0000