Darwin-L Message Log 4:37 (December 1993)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<4:37>From DARWIN@iris.uncg.edu  Thu Dec  9 19:31:36 1993

Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1993 20:38:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: DARWIN@iris.uncg.edu
Subject: December 9 -- Today in the Historical Sciences
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Organization: University of NC at Greensboro

DECEMBER 9 -- TODAY IN THE HISTORICAL SCIENCES

1652: AUGUSTUS QUIRINUS BACHMANN, also known as RIVINUS, is born at Leipzig,
Germany.  After medical study Leipzig and Helmstedt, Rivinus will settle in
Leipzig to practice medicine and lecture at the University of Leipzig.  He
will be best remembered for his work in botanical systematics, and in his
_Introductio Generalis in Rem Herbariam_ (1690) he will anticipate many
features of the later work of Tournefort and Linnaeus.

1667: WILLIAM WHISTON is born at Norton, England.  Whiston will study
mathematics at Cambridge University and will work as an assistant to Isaac
Newton, eventually succeeding Newton as Lucasian Professor.  The two will
become estranged over a dispute about Biblical chronology, and Whiston will
eventually take up residence in London after being expelled from Cambridge.
In his principal work, _A New Theory of the Earth, From its Original, to the
Consummation of all Things_ (London, 1696), Whiston will attempt to reconcile
astronomy with the Biblical account of creation, and will propose that the
Noachian flood was caused by a comet which struck the Earth, driving it from
its original circular orbit and releasing great volumes of subterranean water:
"not the vast Universe, but the Earth alone, with its dependencies, are the
proper subject of the Six Days Creation: And...the Mosaick History is not a
Nice, Exact and Philosophick account of the several steps and operations of
the whole; but such an Historical Relation of each Mutation of the Chaos, each
successive day, as the Journal of a Person on the Face of the Earth all that
while would naturally have contained."

Today in the Historical Sciences is a feature of Darwin-L, an international
discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.  For
information send the message INFO DARWIN-L to listserv@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu.

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