EVENTS & TALKS
WHO INVENTED THE DECIMAL POINT?
Mathematics in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
Despite its reputation for obscurity, most of us use mathematics every day without thinking about it. Numbers, equations, addition and subtraction are part and parcel of everyday life. Although the seeds of mathematics were sown more than 4000 years ago in the Middle East, many of the aspects we take for granted today had their origin in mediaeval Europe. And often, the science of astronomy was what drove their development. In this entertaining and copiously-illustrated talk, Fred Watson tells the story of mathematics from Fibonacci to Newton and Leibniz, including a case study on Scotland’s forgotten mathematical genius, James Gregory.
YOUR SPEAKER
FRED WATSON
Fred Watson AM is an honorary professor of astronomy advocacy and engagement at Macquarie University and an adjunct professor in the University of Wollongong. From 2018 to 2024, he was the Australian Government’s first Astronomer-at-Large, having served for the previous 20 years as the Astronomer-in-Charge of the Australian Astronomical Observatory and before that working at Britain’s two Royal Observatories. He led several projects in advanced astronomical instrumentation and spectroscopic surveys and today is involved in both the history and future of Australian astronomy. He is perhaps best known in Australia for his award-winning radio and TV broadcasts, books, music and dark-sky advocacy – and internationally for the Space Nuts podcast. Fred has an asteroid named after him (5691 Fredwatson), but says that if it hits the Earth, it won't be his fault.