Where in the World Is Sir Cloudsley Shovell? Or Finding Your Way When You're All at Sea
Location
Wedgewood Conference Center, Room 4094
Presentation Type
Presentation
Start Date
25-9-2014 3:30 PM
Description
Three hundred years ago, in July 1714, the British Parliament through the Longitude Act offered a 20,000 pound sterling prize for anyone who could arrive at an accurate and practical means of determining longitude, essential for pinpointing one’s position at sea. This paper provides a historical overview of the many theories put forward in the 17th and 18th centuries, all dependent on being able to accurately tell time at sea. The paper will also look at some of the social issues that arose from this competition, while making an occasional foray down several of the real but absurd rabbit trails a number of seemingly intelligent men actually proposed and in some cases pursued.
Recommended Citation
Jackson, Michael, "Where in the World Is Sir Cloudsley Shovell? Or Finding Your Way When You're All at Sea" (2014). Humanities Symposium. 11.
https://repository.belmont.edu/humanities_symposium/2014/2014/11
Where in the World Is Sir Cloudsley Shovell? Or Finding Your Way When You're All at Sea
Wedgewood Conference Center, Room 4094
Three hundred years ago, in July 1714, the British Parliament through the Longitude Act offered a 20,000 pound sterling prize for anyone who could arrive at an accurate and practical means of determining longitude, essential for pinpointing one’s position at sea. This paper provides a historical overview of the many theories put forward in the 17th and 18th centuries, all dependent on being able to accurately tell time at sea. The paper will also look at some of the social issues that arose from this competition, while making an occasional foray down several of the real but absurd rabbit trails a number of seemingly intelligent men actually proposed and in some cases pursued.
Comments
Convocation Credit: Academic Lecture/p>