Math! Science! History!

Marie Tharp and the Secret Mountains Beneath the Sea

Geologist-cartographer Marie Tharp turned echo-sounding numbers into the first global seafloor maps—revealing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge’s rift valley and helping vindicate Alfred Wegener’s once-dismissed theory of continental drift. This episode traces Tharp’s path from wartime classrooms to world-changing maps, the resistance she faced, and the recognition that finally followed. Three Key Points: How Tharp and Bruce Heezen transformed sonar data into the physiographic maps that visualized seafloor spreading. Why the Mid-Atlantic Ridge’s rift valley was a “smoking gun” for plate tectonics. How gender bias delayed credit for one of geology’s most consequential discoveries. Resources & Further Reading (links) World / Ocean Floors and Land Relief (Heezen–Tharp map) at the David Rumsey Collection. David Rumsey Map Collection Browse all Tharp items in the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. David Rumsey Map Collection Library of Congress Heezen–Tharp Collection (finding aid & digitized items). Library of Congress Handle Resolver About Marie Tharp (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory mini-site). marietharp.ldeo.columbia.edu Marie Tharp biography (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution SECNAV press release renaming USNS Marie Tharp (T-AGS-66), Mar 8, 2023. Navy+1 Google Doodle celebrating Marie Tharp (interactive). Google Doodleslamont.columbia.edu 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h  🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers. From Page to Practice by Brian Teoh. Nature Documentary by Alisia Beats. Slow Tide by u_98673jp94.  Sound effects from Pixabay: Thank you Dragon Studio and Solarmusic Until next time, carpe diem!

FLASHCARDS! You Could Be a Scientist! Everyday Microscope Moments

In this Flashcards Friday, Gabrielle shows how you already think like a scientist. Using three simple ideas from microscopy: magnification, illumination, and focus, she connects everyday phone habits (zooming, finding good light, tapping to focus) to centuries of scientific practice. Three Flashcards Magnification: How “zooming in” reveals hidden detail, and why that mindset matters in science and daily life. Illumination: How changing the light transforms what you can see, from selfies to specimens. Focus: Why patience and fine-tuning bring true clarity (on your phone and under a lens). Links to Resources ·         Microscope Basics (Britannica): https://www.britannica.com/technology/microscope ·         Illumination & Contrast (Nikon MicroscopyU): https://www.microscopyu.com/techniques ·         Optics Primer: Lenses & Light (HyperPhysics): http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/geoopt/lenscon.html 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform 🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. On Matters of Consequence from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

REPOST: A Brief History of the Microscope

First crafted in the late 16th century, the microscope forever changed science by revealing worlds hidden from the naked eye. In this special repost from 2020, Gabrielle takes you through centuries of innovation—from glass lenses to high-tech marvels—and explores how this transformative tool shaped medicine, biology, and our understanding of life itself. Three key topics The origins of the microscope, including its earliest inventors and the coining of its name in 1625. How microscopes evolved from simple lenses to electron and cryo-electron imaging. The ways microscopes continue to impact scientific discovery today. Links to Resources Luke Jerram’s Glass Microbe Sculptures: https://www.lukejerram.com/ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – COVID-19 Images: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/novel-coronavirus-sarscov2-images History of Microscopy – Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/technology/microscope Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h   🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show! Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

FLASHCARDS! Tourism: When History and Star Trek Intertwine

In this episode of Math! Science! History!, we explore the ethics of exploration through three lenses: the protests over modern overtourism, the historical insights of early scientific explorers, and the fictional moral compass of Star Trek’s Prime Directive. From 18th-century expeditions to the 23rd-century starship Enterprise, we examine how curiosity, respect, and humility can guide how we move through the world, whether on cobblestone streets or alien worlds. Three Things Listeners Will Learn The origins and real-world inspiration behind Star Trek’s Prime Directive. How early scientific explorers approached discovery with respect for cultures and environments. Practical ways to travel ethically in an age of overtourism. Links to Resources Louvre Museum staff strike over overcrowding: Louvre shut down by spontaneous staff strike over 'untenable' working conditions Venice overtourism measures: Venice Doubles Last-Minute 'Tourist Tax' ,  Other Cities Watch Closely - Business Insider Star Trek “The Return of the Archons” episode summary: The Return of the Archons (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom Star Trek Prime Directive overview: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Prime_Directive Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h 🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform 🌍 Let’s Connect! Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathsciencehistory  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/math-science-history/  Threads: https://www.threads.com/@math.science.history  YouTube: Math! Science! History! - YouTube Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mathsciencehistory  🛍 Check out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!

REPOST: Quantum Computing & Brahmagupta: From Zero to Qubits

This episode bridges the ancient and the cutting-edge, tracing the legacy of 7th-century mathematician Brahmagupta, who formalized the concept of zero, to today’s quantum computing revolution. We explore how his foundational work in numerical systems underpins binary logic and, ultimately, the qubits powering modern quantum processors like Microsoft’s Majorana 1 and Google’s Willow. From historical insight to the promise of quantum-driven solutions for climate change, medicine, and cybersecurity, this episode is a testament to how human innovation builds across centuries. The key points include How Brahmagupta’s introduction of zero and rules for numbers shaped the foundation of binary and quantum logic. The latest breakthroughs in quantum computing, including Microsoft’s Majorana 1 and Google’s Willow processor. Why quantum computing could transform fields from medicine and climate modeling to global logistics and encryption. 🏛 Links & Resources: ·  Microsoft unveils Majorana 1 chip ·  Google’s Willow Processor Overview ·  History of Brahmagupta 🔗 Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com 📚 To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h  🌍 Let’s Connect! Website: mathsciencehistory.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history 🎧 Enjoying the Podcast? If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:🌟 Leave a review! It helps more people discover the show!📢 Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!🔔 Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform ☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! PayPal 🛍 Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store 🎵 Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Until next time, carpe diem!!