Comments for Before Orion

Comment on Precession of the Equinoxes Before Hipparchus? by Robert Tulip

Robert Tulip — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 05:26:14 +0000

Hello Bernie, thanks for drawing my attention to your article on Hipparchus. As I recall (will re-check), Astronomy from Babylonia to Copernicus by William O’Neill argues that Hipparchus actually calculated the speed of precession correctly, but the incorrect degree per century idea (from Timaeus?) was accepted by Ptolemy and led later astronomers on a wild goose chase to explain why the speed seemed to change, with the false idea of ‘trepidation’. Another excellent source on ancient knowledge of precession is Norman Lockyer’s study of Egyptian temple star worship. It may be that ancient societies were aware of precession without accurate knowledge of its speed. The Pan-Babylonian school investigated these issues, with an attempted debunking by Neugebauer. I gave a talk last night that discussed these themes. Have you read The Myth of Babylonian Knowledge of Precession by Gary Thompson?
Thanks, Robert Tulip

Comment on Picasso’s Ice Age Inspiration for Guernica? by Fellow Art Lover

Fellow Art Lover — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 02:23:31 +0000

Hi Bernie.
Interesting read. Are the Picasso to cave art connections in any other books?

Comment on Physics Today – “The Rich Past of Astronomical Discovery” by Gilbert

Gilbert — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 02:20:23 +0000

I read the book review and I watched some of your videos. Your work dates astronomy to 10,000s of years before Gobeklitepe and Lascaux.
Why didn’t you point of the earlier references in the book review?
Gilbert

Comment on Precession of the Equinoxes Before Hipparchus? by Hans

Hans — Thu, 14 May 2020 02:48:18 +0000

I appreciate your debunking of Hamlet’s Mill. Their proposed evidence did not stack up.
Thanks for setting the record straight. Is there more info out there on ancient astronomy?