Changes - Words and differing meanings

I'm currently reading The Fellowship by John Gribbin (Allen Lane, London, 2005) which is the story of the founding of the Royal Society. (Its a pleasantly short book at around 340 pages and written in such an accessible style.)

In exploring the reasons for the scientific revolution coming about in Britain and why it had the impact it did, he writes:
"These [technological changes such as movable type, gunpowder, the publication of Copernicus's De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium] changed the intellectual envirnoment both by improving communications and providing information about new and exciting places, and by showing that the application of science could have practical benefits"(page xiii)

Following this, Gribbin points out that the definition of science comes from the Latin scientia meaning knowledge and that the word was understood in a far broader context than we do now. Stephenson is aware this change (modern narrowing?) of definition as Isaac plays with Alchemy to achieve scientific ends and the major characters of the Baroque Cycle are what we would now call polymaths. The seek knowledge from whichever field is necessary rather than keeping within hte boundaries of their subjects.

A further term which needs elucidating in its changes is "revolution" whose meaning has changed somewhat from the seventeenth century understanding. That is for a later post.

Pesky Liberals - An old lesson for a modern age

Just going on further through the Gribbin and reading about John Wilkins at Gray's Inn and his views. Gribbin comments:
"Wilkins was a gregarious and friendly man who often inspired respect and encouraged people from widely differing backgrounds to come together and discuss scientific ideas and, crucially, to carry out their own scientific experiments. His tolerance was unusual, but by no means unique, in an age which, as we have already seen, was torn by religious disagreements over ideology. As a liberal, he was criticized for, amongst other things, such dnagerous ideas as reconciliation with the Dissenters, and it is significant that the Royal Society itself, when it was set up, specifically encouraged men from all parts of the Christian Church to be among its Fellows." (page132)

Whilst Stephenson is clearly not writing a political tract, the Baroque Cycle, or at least the science narrative, demonstrates a clear working towards this seventeenth century ideal of science/quest for knowledge, bringing together different backgrounds.