Discover how Latin was taught at a time when people spoke it fluently. — Do you find memorizing long lists of vocabulary dull and boring? Well, it’s not only dull, but also ineffective, as John Amos Comenius showed in the year 1657, when he published his seminal book Didactica Magna (“Great Didactic”) in Latin. …

Discover what this gem of Jewish philosophy teaches us about the meaning of life. — Imagine a fusion of the most profound insights of ancient Greek and Middle Eastern philosophy — that is the Book of Ecclesiastes. Being the source of iconic proverbs such as “nothing new under the sun”, the book has had an enormous impact on Western culture. The book was written around…

Exercise and diet are the cornerstones of good health, says Celsus. — In Part 1 of this series, Celsus gave a brief overview of the history of medicine. Here in Part 2, he provides practical advice on how to become and stay healthy — no medication needed. …

Learn why Celsus’ textbook of medicine is among the finest classics of science. — Often called the “Cicero of medicine”, everyone has heard of Aulus Cornelius Celsus, but who has read his work? Published in the 1st century AD, De Medicina has served as a standard textbook of medicine for many centuries. Far from obsolete, De Medicina introduced medical concepts that are still in…

In this milestone of medicine, the British surgeon Harvey figured out the function of the heart and blood vessels. — When I first read De Motu Cordis (“On the Motion of the Heart”), I was shocked. I expected to find the usual errors and misconceptions of a book published in the 17th century. I found almost none. Harvey had it all figured out: the anatomy of the heart, veins, arteries…

When I started reading books from the 17th century, I was surprised at how relevant they are to today’s problems. — Most people think that today’s problems are new and specific to our time. Turns out that’s not the case. Granted, big data and artificial intelligence are new, but the methodology at their foundation is old. I mean, 400 years old. Data Bias: Now as Then Data bias is a common mistake made when conducting research…

Bacon reveals a number of “cheat codes” for science, including new study designs and instruments such as the microscope. — In Part 1 and Part 2 of this summary, we saw how Bacon invented the scientific method, which he called true induction. In this third and final part, Bacon lets us in to some tricks and tools that can make science more effective. In the last pages of the Novum…

Did you know that Copernicus was also an economist? He wrote a seminal treatise on inflation in Latin. Here’s a summary. — Known as the founder of modern astronomy, Nicolaus Copernicus was also the first economist. In the year 1526, he published a brilliant analysis of inflation, titled Monetae Cudendae Ratio (“The Logic of Minting Money”), which may the first study of monetary economics. …

Haven’t read this milestone of science? This short and accessible version leaves no excuses. — Having built a simple telescope, Galileo Galilei was the first to observe the universe up close. In the year 1610 he published his first observations in a little booklet titled Sidereus Nuncius (“Starry Messenger”). …