Edwin Abbott Abbott

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Culture, dec20, Literature, Math, philosophy, Physics

Did you know that Edwin Abbott Abbott was born today in 1838? He was a teacher, philosopher, and writer. Abbott used the pseudonym “A. Square” to write his best-known work Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. Some have categorized the book as a work of science fiction, others have called it ‘mathematical fiction’. Flatland imagines the differences and interactions between worlds with different dimensions. The book starts with a two-dimensional world, with a character that is a square. While people in these worlds can easily observe lower-dimensional worlds, (spheres – circle – line – dot) they have a hard time envisioning a world of higher dimensions.

We hope that you keep your brain flexible by thinking through new and sometimes unfamiliar ideas! Remember to think kind thoughts, use kind words, and do kind things. We Love You.

Bonus Facts:
Edwin Abbott Abbott graduated with honors from St. John’s College, Cambridge. Eventually he became headmaster of the City of London school.

Edwin Abbott Abbott also wrote books about theology, biographies, history, language, philosophy, and more.

When it was published, Flatland was not a great success. However, the book was rediscovered after Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which brought to light the concepts of upper dimensions. Since then, Flatland has inspired sequels, short films, animations, television episodes, and more.

Some see Flatland as a social satire about class division.

Elena Cornaro Piscopia

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Astronomy, june5, Math, philosophy, Physics

Did you know that Elena Cornaro Piscopia was born today in 1646? She was one of the first women in the world to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree from an academic university. Noticing her intelligence and curiosity, a friend of her father encouraged him to give Elena the opportunity to study and gain an education. She leaned how to speak, read, and write in Latin, Greek, Spanish, French, Hebrew, and Arabic. In addition, she studied mathematics, physics, astronomy, philosophy, and theology. Elena Cornaro Piscopia was also a master musician and could play the harpsicord, clavichord, harp, and violin.

We hope that you have a brilliant day at school today! Remember to think kind thoughts, use kind words, and do kind things. We Love You.

Bonus Facts:
Elena was born in Venice to an influential nobleman. However, her mother was not married to the nobleman, Gianbattista Cornaro-Piscopia at the time. As a result, she was not officially part of the Cornaro family and was barred from noble privilege.

Elena was seven years old when she became proficient in Latin, Greek, French and Spanish.

Elena Cornaro Piscopia also composed music.

Elena Cornaro Piscopia’s accomplishments were acknowledged across Europe. She was invited to be part of or lead many scholarly societies including the Venetian Society Accademia dei Pacifici (Academy of the Peaceful).

When Elena Cornaro Piscopia’s tutor, Felice Rotondi, initially petitioned the University of Padua to grant Elena a Doctor of Theology. The Bishop of Padua, denied that request since Elena Cornaro Piscopia was a woman, but he did allow her to pursue a Doctorate of Philosophy degree.

When her degree was conferred on June 25, 1678, the ceremony was held at the Padua Cathedra instead of the University. Aside from University authorities, professors, and students, Venetian senators and guests from other Universities at Bologna, Perugia, Rome, and Naples also attended. When she passed away, memorial services were held in Venice, Pauda, Siena, and Rome.

After obtaining her Doctorate of Philosophy degree, Elena Cornaro Piscopia divided her time between further studies and tending to and caring for the poor.

Francis Bacon

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jan22, philosophy, politics, Science

Did you know that Francis Bacon was born today in 1561? He was an English philosopher, scientist, political leader, and author. Francis Bacon promoted the idea of gaining scientific knowledge through making careful observations and experiments, compared to just coming up with ideas that are not based on evidence. Because of this, he is sometimes called the ‘father of the scientific method’. With the scientific method, an experiment is designed to test an idea or theory. Scientists make observations during the experiment that either support or disprove the idea. Scientists gain new knowledge and ideas that can be tested again with new experiments!

We hope that you are logical and observant at school today! Remember to think kind thoughts, use kind words, and do kind things. We Love You.

Bonus Facts:
Bacon once wrote that he ha three goals: to uncover truth, serve his country, and serve his church.

Sometimes Francis Bacon is called the ‘father of empiricism’. He tried to encourage scientists to use inductive reasoning.
Other types of reasoning are deductive reasoning and abductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is sometimes described as ‘top down’. It applies a hypothesis to a situation. A classic example is (Socrates was a man) (all men are mortal) (Socrates was mortal) Many mathematic proofs are deductive. Inductive reasoning is ‘bottom up’. Instead of a certainty, the conclusion is more ‘probable’; even with two true premises, the conclusion could still be possibly false. Abductive reasoning is similar to inductive reasoning; it deals more with ‘the best explanation’ possible.

A hypothesis from the mid-19th century proposes that Francis Bacon wrote some of the plays traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare.

Mary Wollstonecraft

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april27, Literature, philosophy, Social Science

Did you know that Mary Wollstonecraft was born today in 1759? She was an English philosopher, writer, and activist and advocate for women’s rights. During her life, women did not have many of the same opportunities for work, rights and education as men. Women were thought to be naturally not as smart or capable as men, and were often treated as such. Mary Wollstonecraft fought against that idea. In her writings, she insisted that women are not naturally inferior to men; it was lack of education that made women seem inferior and advocated for women to have access to education.

We hope you make the most of your education at school today. Remember to think kind thoughts, use kind words, and do kind things. We Love You.

Bonus Facts:
Before focusing on writing, Mary Wollstonecraft was employed as a lady’s companion, teacher, and governess, which were some of the only career options available for women at that time in history.

Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the few women of her time to try to make a living from writing. She wrote novels, stories for children, reviews of recently published works, philosophical articles, travel narratives, and histories of the French Revolution (in which she participated). Her most famous work is A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Mary Wollstonecraft also wrote about the history of the French Revolution. She actually travelled to Paris in 1792, shortly before Louis Xvi was guillotined. She met Gilbert Imlay there, who fathered a child with her, but they did not officially marry. Eventually Gilbert Imlay left Mary Wollstonecraft in France, where she remained alone, with an infant, in the middle of a revolution. Finally, in 1795, Mary Wollstonecraft returned to England.

Mary Wollstonecraft’s children were Fanny Imlay (born while Mary was in France) and Mary Goodwin.  Mary Goodwin later became an accomplished writer herself, better known by her married name, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.