The Complete History of Science podcast artwork
Science

The Complete History of Science

by Gethin Richards

Chart positions today · Germany

Not on the Germany charts we track today.

If you like The Complete History of Science, try…

Latest episodes

  • I Follow Archimedes [Galileo - Part 1]

    October 10, 2026 · 22 min

    In 1583, Galileo Galilei was eighteen years old and enrolled as a medical student at the University of Pisa. On the surface, life was good. There was, however, one problem: he couldn't stand medicine. We begin with his early years, from…

  • Special: The History of Reproductive Science with Prof. Michael Carroll

    March 22, 2026 · 1 hr 12 min

    Michael, an Associate Professor in Reproductive Science, joins us for a wide-ranging dive into the history of reproductive science.  From ancient Galenic theories and Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings, through the gradual unravelling…

  • The Harmony of Johannes Kepler [Kepler - Part 4]

    January 25, 2026 · 43 min

    In 1610 reports reached Prague that Galileo had discovered new planets, and Kepler felt compelled to find out for himself what had actually been seen. Reading Starry Messenger and later observing through a borrowed telescope, he became one…

  • Christmas Special 2025 - Q and A

    December 24, 2025 · 28 min

    Merry Christmas!  Answering listener questions as well as some long standing FAQs.  Enjoy! Support the show Support the show and get episodes early: https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https://th…

  • The New Astronomy [Kepler - Part 3]

    November 14, 2025 · 39 min

    After years of struggle, Johannes Kepler finally had the tools and data to wage what he called his “War with Mars.” Rejecting ancient assumptions he used Tycho Brahe’s observations to discover his first two laws of planetary motion. His…

Show 7 more episodesShow fewer episodes
  • Let Me Not Seem to Have Lived in Vain [Kepler - Part 2]

    November 10, 2025 · 34 min

    In 1600, Johannes Kepler arrived at Tycho Brahe’s castle hoping to escape religious persecution and gain access to the most precise astronomical data in Europe. Their relationship was strained by clashing temperaments — Tycho’s secrecy and…

  • Secrets of the Universe [Kepler - Part 1]

    September 28, 2025 · 43 min

    Johannes Kepler rose from a difficult childhood to become a brilliant but unconventional student, deeply influenced by his Lutheran faith, Copernican astronomy, and a belief in divine harmony within the cosmos. In Graz he developed his…

  • Tycho's World System [Tycho Brahe Part 3]

    June 20, 2025 · 29 min

    Tycho Brahe’s observations of the Great Comet of 1577 and his discovery of atmospheric refraction led him to reject solid celestial spheres and reassess the structure of the cosmos. Seeking an alternative to both the Ptolemaic and…

  • Hven is a Place on Earth [Tycho Brahe Part 2]

    June 15, 2025 · 21 min

    In 1576, Tycho Brahe was offered something no astronomer had ever received before: an island of his own. On the remote Baltic isle of Hven, Tycho set out to build the most advanced observatory in Europe.  But just as construction began, a…

  • A New Star [Tycho Brahe Part 1]

    June 14, 2025 · 35 min

    13/06/25 - Episode was removed due to audio errors and reuploaded.  Sorry! In 1572, a mysterious new star appeared in the sky, defying the ancient belief that the heavens never changed. Tycho Brahe, a Danish nobleman with a passion for…

  • The Lodestone, the Compass and the Magnetic Earth

    May 25, 2025 · 32 min

    In this episode we trace the early development of magnetism and the compass—from ancient Chinese navigation to the groundbreaking insights of medieval and Renaissance Europe. The episode highlights the work of Peter Peregrinus, a…

  • Circulation! [William Harvey Part 3]

    January 18, 2025 · 24 min

    At the start of the 17th century Harvey finally put all of the pieces in place.  He had discovered that blood circulates through the body with the heart acting as a pump.  Realising that he was undermining a millenia of Galenism, he set…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

A podcast exploring the history of science from the beginning.  We will cover all of the most important scientific discoveries from Archimedes to Newton to Einstein.  The aim is to give a complete overview of how science evolved and how it shaped the modern world. Support the show and keep it going:  https://www.patreon.com/TheCompleteHistoryofScience Website: https://thecompletehistoryofscience.com/ Follow me on BlueSky for updates:  https://bsky.app/profile/gethinrichards.bsky.social YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thecompletehistoryofscience Music credit:Folk Round Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Photo credit: "L0015096EB" by Wellcome Library, London is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Image has been cropped.