Today we venture back to the start of philosophical thinking. We will learn about two Greek thinkers who started to try and comprehend the universe. What was the Arche? How did their ideas fare to modern science? And how far off were they?

References

1. Aristotle. Metaphysics (Book I, Chapter 3).

2. Diogenes Laërtius. Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (Book I).

3. Plato. Theaetetus (174a).

4. Kirk, G.S., Raven, J.E., & Schofield, M. The Presocratic Philosophers. Cambridge University Press.

5. Burnet, John. Early Greek Philosophy. A&C Black.

Script writing, recording and editing done by me, Jake. Sound effects and backing music from Pixabay.

Noticed a mistake? Let me know at thechemistrytimelinepod@gmail.com

Fancy making a shiny new cover art, or a unique theme song, reach out to me using the email above to discuss.

AI Disclaimer: Research, script writing and editing done by myself. AI is used in the fine tuning of my script to help create a smooth flow of ideas (otherwise it would be as chaotic as the early universe), but all research and writing is not AI-Generated.

Today, we venture back to the point where we started turning boring sand into beautiful glass. How did we turn this common ingredient into a clear crystal? What problems did they have, and why was coloured glass the original idea?

References:

• Degryse, P., Scott, R. B., & Brems, D. (2014). The archaeometry of ancient glassmaking: Reconstructing ancient technology and the trade of raw materials. Perspective, (2), 224–238. https://doi.org/10.4000/perspective.5617

• Gherardi, F. (2022). Compositional and morphological investigations of Roman glass from cremation deposits at Birdoswald Fort on Hadrian’s Wall, UK. Heritage, 5(1), 362–377. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5010021

• Jackson, C. M., Paynter, S., Nenna, M.-D., & Degryse, P. (2016). Glassmaking using natron from el-Barnugi (Egypt); Pliny and the Roman glass industry. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 10(5), 1179–1191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-016-0447-4

• Lü, Q.-Q., Henderson, J., Wang, Y., & Wang, B. (2021). Natron glass beads reveal proto-Silk Road between the Mediterranean and China in the 1st millennium BCE. Scientific Reports, 11(1), Article 2911. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82245-w

• Muros, V. (n.d.). Down in the dumps: Analysis of glass production debris from Petrie's excavations at Amarna. Smithsonian Research Online.

• Rasmussen, S. C. (n.d.). A brief history of early silica glass: Impact on science and society. Firenze University Press.

• Shortland, A. (n.d.). Glass production. UC Berkeley: eScholarship.

Script writing, recording and editing done by me, Jake. Sound effects and backing music from Pixabay.

Noticed a mistake? Let me know at thechemistrytimelinepod@gmail.com

Fancy making a shiny new cover art, or a unique theme song, reach out to me using the email above to discuss.

Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(02:17) Act 1 - The Vitreous State: What is a glass?

(07:15) Act 2 - The Magic of Flux: The Ancient Egyptian Recipe

(12:04) Act 3 - Colour, Clarity and the Roman Factory

(15:25) Conclusion

In today's episode, we venture back to one of the most loved ancient civilisations, the Egyptians. How did we preserve human bodies for thousands of years? What did they use? And why did they have lovely black lines on their eyes?

References:

• Lucas, A. (1962). Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries. Edward Arnold Publishers. (The definitive, classic text on the material chemistry of ancient Egypt).

• Tapsoba, I., et al. (2010). Finding Out Why Ancient Egyptian Kohl Makeup Had Bactericidal and Therapeutic Properties. Analytical Chemistry, 82(2), 457-460. (The groundbreaking study revealing the lead-induced nitric oxide defense mechanism).

• Bickerstaffe, D. (2001). The Dehydration of the Dead: Natron and its Use in Mummification. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. (Excellent analysis of the osmotic properties of Wadi El Natrun minerals).

• Evershed, R. P., et al. (1997). Chemical Composition of Organic Residues in Ancient Egyptian Mummies. Nature, 390, 661-662. (An analytical study utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to decode the natural polymers and resins used in wrapping).

Script writing, recording and editing done by me, Jake. Sound effects and backing music from Pixabay.

Noticed a mistake? Let me know at thechemistrytimelinepod@gmail.com

Fancy making a shiny new cover art, or a unique theme song, reach out to me using the email above to discuss.