De las cosas que más me gusta hacer en la vida es ir a acampar a la playa... como las de Guerrero, Oaxaca y Michoacán y otras tantas de la costa del Pacífico, donde el arena y la brisa son suaves con la piel. Es en la playa donde mejor brota mi espíritu científico y donde mejor entiendo lo que es la astronomía. Si lo piensa uno con detenimiento se dará cuenta de que en la playa se habla constantemente de esta ciencia porque todo el tiempo estamos mirando el cielo, las puestas de Sol, el lejano horizonte, la subida de la marea y los colores del amanecer, y estamos al pendiente del paso del Sol del Este al Oeste, del movimiento de las sombras, de la Luna y de los astros.
Cuando los campistas de alguna enramada organizan fogatas en la noche, los más románticos se alejan un poco del brillo del fuego para desencandilar las pupilas y poder ver las estrellas y el reflejo de la Luna en las olas del mar, se acuestan sobre la arena y presumen reconocer alguna constelación. Alguno encuentra el planeta Marte gracias a su color rojo; otro explica las fases de la Luna, los enamorados buscan ver algún cometa o estrella fugaz, varios más ubican la estrella Polar, y todos nos hacemos de una u otra manera las mismas preguntas que los grandes sabios han ido respondiendo a lo largo de los siglos. ¿Por qué la noche es negra? ¿Qué serán las estrellas, y cuántas hay? ¿A qué distancia están? ¿Habrá vida en otros mundos?...
Los que son muy aficionados a la astronomía suelen cargar con telescopios, brújulas y localizadores (GPS), y son los más populares en las noches de cielo claro pues todo mundo quiere ver las maravillas escondidas en el universo como nebulosas y cúmulos. Estos instrumentos permiten ver más y más lejos, ubicar nuestra posición en la Tierra y contestar muchas de las preguntas que surgen naturalmente en las pláticas playeras.
Para los navegantes, los exploradores y los geógrafos conocer el cielo es conocer la Tierra y nuestra posición, pues es muy útil para hacer mapas y corregir el rumbo de las embarcaciones. Los que hacen astronomía piensan constantemente en estas cosas y en muchas más; estudian la geometría de la Tierra, la física de la luz, la mecánica celeste, la gravedad de los cuerpos; en la ubicación, composición y movimiento de los astros e investigan las causas de todos estos fenómenos que fácilmente se observan en el mar.
Publicado en la Revista De veras?
Del COMECyT
07 julio, 2010
En el prefacio a los Principia de Mr. Roger Cotes
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1729)
by Isaac Newton
The Preface of Mr. Roger Cotes
To the Second Edition of this Work,
so far as it relates to the Inventions and Discoveries herein contained.
by Isaac Newton
The Preface of Mr. Roger Cotes
To the Second Edition of this Work,
so far as it relates to the Inventions and Discoveries herein contained.
"THOSE who have treated of natural pilosophy, may be nearly reduced to three classes. Of these some have been attributed to the several species of things, specific and occult qualities; on which, in a manner unknown, they make the operations of the several bodies to depend. The sum of the doctrine of the Schools derived from Aristotle and the Peripatetics is herein contained. They affirm that the several effects of the bodies arise from the particular natures of those bodies [xv] arise from the particular natures of those bodies. But whence it is that bodies derive those natures they don't tell us; and therefore they tell us no thing. And beings entirely employed in giving names to things, and not in searching into things themselves, we may lay that they have invented a philosophical way of speaking, but not that they have made known to us true philosophy.
Others therefore by laying aside that useless heap of words. Thought to employ their pains to better purpose. These suppoſed all matter homogeneous, and that the variety of forms which is seen in bodies arises from some very plain and simple affections of the component particles. And by going on from simple things to those which are more compounded they certainly proceed right; if they attribute no other properties to those primary affections of the particles than Nature has done. But when they take a liberty of imagining at pleasure unknown figures and magnitudes, and uncertain situations and motion of the parts; and moreover of supposing occult, freely pervading the pores of bodies, endued with an all-performing subtilty, and agitated, with occult motions; they now run out into dreams and chimera's, and neglect the true constitution of things; which certainly is not to be expected from fallacious conjectures, when we can scarce reach it by the most certain observations. Those who fetch from by hypotheses the foundation on which they build their speculations, may form indeed an ingenious romance, but a romance it will still be.
There is left then the third class, which prosess experimental philosophy. These indeed derive the causes of all things from the most simple principles [ xvi ] possible; but then they assume nothing as a principle, that is not proved by phenomena. They frame no hypotheses, nor receive them into philosophy otherwise than as questions whose truth may be disputed. They proceed therefore in a two-fold method, synthetical and analytical. From some select phenomena they deduce by analysis the forces of nature, and the more simple laws of forces; and from thence by synthesis shew the constitution of the rest. This is that incomparably best way of philosophizing, which our renowned author most justly embraced before the rest; and thought alone worthy to be cultivated and adorned by his excellent labours. Of this he has given us a most illustrious example. By the explication of the System of the World, most happily deduced from the Theory of Gravity. That the virtue of gravity was found in all bodies, others suspected, or imagined before him; but he was the only and the first philosopher that could demonstrate it from appearances, and make it a solid foundation to the most noble speculations."
Others therefore by laying aside that useless heap of words. Thought to employ their pains to better purpose. These suppoſed all matter homogeneous, and that the variety of forms which is seen in bodies arises from some very plain and simple affections of the component particles. And by going on from simple things to those which are more compounded they certainly proceed right; if they attribute no other properties to those primary affections of the particles than Nature has done. But when they take a liberty of imagining at pleasure unknown figures and magnitudes, and uncertain situations and motion of the parts; and moreover of supposing occult, freely pervading the pores of bodies, endued with an all-performing subtilty, and agitated, with occult motions; they now run out into dreams and chimera's, and neglect the true constitution of things; which certainly is not to be expected from fallacious conjectures, when we can scarce reach it by the most certain observations. Those who fetch from by hypotheses the foundation on which they build their speculations, may form indeed an ingenious romance, but a romance it will still be.
There is left then the third class, which prosess experimental philosophy. These indeed derive the causes of all things from the most simple principles [ xvi ] possible; but then they assume nothing as a principle, that is not proved by phenomena. They frame no hypotheses, nor receive them into philosophy otherwise than as questions whose truth may be disputed. They proceed therefore in a two-fold method, synthetical and analytical. From some select phenomena they deduce by analysis the forces of nature, and the more simple laws of forces; and from thence by synthesis shew the constitution of the rest. This is that incomparably best way of philosophizing, which our renowned author most justly embraced before the rest; and thought alone worthy to be cultivated and adorned by his excellent labours. Of this he has given us a most illustrious example. By the explication of the System of the World, most happily deduced from the Theory of Gravity. That the virtue of gravity was found in all bodies, others suspected, or imagined before him; but he was the only and the first philosopher that could demonstrate it from appearances, and make it a solid foundation to the most noble speculations."
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