We are back! After a long hiatus, new episodes of the show will be dropping regularly. For the first time, we will spend an entire episode focused on a single person. Our subject will be the Greco-Roman physician known to history as Galen. Galen is known as the father of systematic because of his numerous contributions to medical history. During his fascinating life, he spent time learning his craft in a healing temple, treated the wounds of gladiators following combat, helping combat the world's first smallpox outbreak, and serve as personal physician to three Roman emperors. He would also produce more books that perhaps anyone in antiquity, with some scholars estimating that he may have written as many as 500 books totaling as many at 10 million words.

So please take a listen and learn about a truly interesting man who was considered the model for the practice of medicine for over 1,000 years.

In this episode we will learn about the impact of the Roman Empire on scientific thought. As opposed to the Greeks who approached mathematics and science from a philosophical perspective in order to better understand the universe, the Romans had a much more utilitarian view of these topics. As the Roman Empire sought to increase its influence over much of the known world, they were aided by the knowledge possessed by their Greek neighbors. They used this knowledge to improve their military, connect their settlements with roads and aqueducts, and build impressive structures, some of which are still standing today. And while the Romans didn't dedicate themselves like their Greek predecessors did to the continuous advancement of science and mathematics in the academic sense, they did an excellent job of cataloging the knowledge they had and making advances in these fields through the practical application of that knowledge.

In this episode, we continue learning about the Hellenistic Age in which Greek thinkers made many important advances in the fields of mathematics and astronomy. Part 2 features the stories of Eratosthenes, Apollonius of Perga, and Hipparchus. These three men contributed significantly to our understanding of the world and universe that surrounds us, including measuring the circumference of the Earth using shadows and laying the groundwork for modern trigonometry.