For good or for ill, and I’m of the opinion that it is not entirely one or the other, with the development of various technologies and changes in the way the natural world was viewed, many societies have become quite literally disenchanted. And yet…
Prior to the late medieval period in England, reading was an activity largely confined to those who were fluent in Latin, and who either had access to libraries or who could afford the high prices books commanded in the marketplace. However around 1400, thanks to technological developments and more frequent translation of Latin works into English, a larger portion of the population began to make the reading of books, especially utilitarian books such as almanacs, medical recipe collections, and herbals part of their lives, particularly in regard to how they managed their health, homes, and the conduct of their lives.
“Rising sea levels” is among the most common phrases one reads and hears whenever discussions of climate change- particularly anthropogenic climate change – occur. But on a planet where oceans cover over seventy percent of the surface, just how is sea level measured? And for that matter, given changes in technology, as well as in the recent increase in interest in shifting baselines and how they may affect historical data in many of the biological and Earth sciences, have the ways sea level has been measured in the past changed?
Since being introduced to the world in 2019, the Princeton University Press Pedia series of books has brought readers pocket-sized, delight- and information-filled compendia of interesting facts about a number of subjects, including fungi, flowers, trees, dinosaurs, and most recently dogs.