Posts Tagged ‘natural philosophy’
The Witch, the Turtle, and the Polyp: Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Natural Philosophy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 10, 1825 On this day, dear readers and fellow admirers of nature’s endless wonders, the eminent English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian Samuel Taylor Coleridge put quill to paper and birthed…
Read MoreThe Language of Nature: Galileo Galilei, Father of Modern Science and Mathematics
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. February 15, 1564 Dearest reader, On this day, we mark the birth of one of the most enthralling minds in the annals of history—Galileo Galilei, the Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, mathematician, and philosopher.…
Read MoreCadwallader Colden and His Daughter Jane: A Colonial Legacy in American Botany
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: February 7, 1688 Dearest reader, On this day, the world welcomed Cadwallader Colden, a Scottish-American physician, botanist, and distinguished Lieutenant Governor of New York, whose legacy blooms still in the annals of botanical history. After arriving in America in 1718, Colden and his wife…
Read MoreRudolph Jacob Camerarius: The Botanist Who Demonstrated Plant Sexuality
The Anther and the Pistol February 17, 1721 Today is the anniversary of the death of Rudolph Jacob Camerarius, the botanist who demonstrated the existence of sexes in plants. Rudolph was born in Germany. He was a professor of natural philosophy. Rudolph identified and defined the flower’s male parts as the anther, and he did…
Read MoreMargaret Cavendish: The Brain as a Garden and Her Poetic Vision
The Brain a Garden December 15, 1673 Today is the anniversary of the death of the 17th-century philosopher, poet, scientist, fiction-writer, naturalist, and playwright Margaret Cavendish. Margaret’s perspective on the natural world helped shape our modern viewpoint. And it should be noted that Margaret was the first woman to make a living from her writing.…
Read MoreAlmira Hart Lincoln Phelps: The Botanist Who Inspired Emily Dickinson and Taught Mindfulness Through Nature
Amherst Academy Teacher Today is the birthday of Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps. Almira wrote about nature, and her textbook, Familiar Lectures on Botany, was first published in 1829. Almira taught at Amherst Academy, and her textbook was undoubtedly known and used by Emily Dickinson, who was a student there. The following quotes show us that…
Read MoreRudolph Jacob Camerarius: The Botanist Who Revealed Plant Sexes
Discovery of Sexes in Plants Today is the anniversary of the death of Rudolph Jacob Camerarius, the botanist who demonstrated the existence of sexes in plants. He died in 1721. Camerarius was born in Germany. He was a professor of natural philosophy. He identified and defined the male parts of the flower as the anther,…
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