Celebrating the birthday of science

Celebrating the birthday of science
Celebrating the birthday of science

Celebrating the birthday of science

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More than two thousand years ago this weekend, the ancient Greek philosopher Thales correctly predicted a solar eclipse not by divination and supernatural means, but by using math, previously-written information, and observation. Thus Thales is dubbed “the father of science” and that eclipse on May 28, 585 B.C. is called “the birthday of science”. To commemorate the event the Illinois Science Council is putting on the Chicago Science Fest, three days of talks and exhibits that highlight the incredible amount of scientific work that goes on all the time in and around Chicago. ISC founder and leader Monica Meltzer stops by to talk about all the brain-bending events on tap.(Flickr/steevithak)