Event
Newton’s Dog and Other Tales: Exploring the Literary and Philosophical Construction of Science
Friday, October 25, 2024 14:00to15:00
Sherbrooke 688
680 Sherberooke W, room 1041 (10th floor), 688 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC, H3A 3R1, CA
Did Newton’s dog really set fire to his manuscripts? Was Einstein’s brain stolen after his death and "lost" for nearly two decades? Did Descartes build an automaton to replace his deceased daughter? This lecture will explore how both true and apocryphal stories have shaped public perceptions of science, scientific discovery, and its most iconic figures. Through this exploration, the lecture will emphasize the power of anecdotes as literary devices, revealing how they serve as intersections between philosophical ideas and the narratives through which science is understood.