The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong Out of The Blue
Feb 25, 2025
Explore the fascinating line between the improbable and the impossible. Discover the bloody rise of Mithridates VI against Rome and the epic events of the Mithridatic wars. Dive into a surreal account where a meteorite interrupted a battlefield, reshaping history. Unravel Aristotle's denial of meteors, and follow the groundbreaking discoveries of Tycho Brahe and Ernst Claudney, who challenged the scientific norms of their time. Witness meteorites rain down in dramatic events across Europe, compelling a rethink of our cosmic origins.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Possible Versus Probable
- The phrase "anything is possible" is misleading and often horrifying if taken literally.
- Mark Chrysler reframes it: anything which is possible, however improbable, could happen and that's profound.
Meteorite Stops A Battle
- Mark Chrysler recounts Mithridates VI's rise, cruelty, and ultimate death after failing against Rome.
- A meteorite reportedly fell on a battlefield and prevented a decisive battle, altering history for Pontus.
Aristotle's Lasting Cosmology
- Aristotle's Meteorology placed comets and shooting stars inside Earth's atmosphere and the heavens as immutable.
- That cosmology made the idea of rocks falling from space conceptually impossible for centuries.