Longitude

In Our Time: Science

BBC

History

4.5 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2021

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the search for Longitude while at sea. Following efforts by other maritime nations, the British Government passed the Longitude Act in 1714 to reward anyone who devised reliable means for ships to determine their longitude at sea. Mariners could already calculate how far they were north or south, the Latitude, using the Pole Star, but voyaging across the Atlantic to the Caribbean was much less predictable as navigators could not be sure how far east or west they were, a particular problem when heading for islands. It took fifty years of individual genius and collaboration in Britain and across Europe, among astronomers, clock makers, mathematicians and sailors, for the problem to be resolved. With Rebekah Higgitt Principal Curator of Science at National Museums Scotland Jim Bennett Keeper Emeritus at the Science Museum And Simon Schaffer Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge Producer: Simon Tillotson

Transcript

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0:50.4	I hope you enjoyed the programs.
0:52.0	Hello, in 1714 the British government passed a longer tunic to reward anyone who devised
0:57.6	reliable means for ships to determine their longitude at sea.
1:01.8	Ships could already calculate how far they were north or south, the latitude, but voyaging
1:07.0	across the Atlantic, for example, or to the Spice Islands east to west was much riskier.
1:12.8	And it took 50 years of individual genius and deep collaborations among astronomers, clockmakers,
1:18.0	mathematicians and mariners in Britain and across Europe for the problem to be resolved.
1:22.8	With me to discuss the longitude question are Jim Bennett, keeper emeritus at the Science
	...

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