Episode 13 (A, B) is devoted to the topic of experiments in science: thought experiments and real experiments. They are as important as grand scientific theories. Part A focuses on thought and real experiments from antiquity to the 17th century. I explain the function of such experiments and discuss some famous examples. How do you 'prove' that the universe if infinite (Archytas of Tarentum, ca 430-345 BC), that the Earth rotates (Aristotle and Galileo) and how do you measure its circumference (Erastothenes, 240 BC), when you cannot make direct measurements? Listen to Part A to find out!

Literature:

You can find brief, handy descriptions of scientific experiments in Rom Harré, Great Scientific Experiments (1981) and George Johnson, The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments (2009). The material of episodes 13 (A, B) is based on Friedel Weinert, The Demons of Science (2016), where you will find many more references to experiments in science.