Due Friday April 10 by 10 pm

Please use the Upload your homework file (word or PDF format) using this submission tool

Most of these questions will require doing research/reading outside of the course material. That's one of the essential points of homework.

1. Aristotle assumed the Universe was infinite in extent and age. What are the logical physical/observational problems with the Universe being of infinite age?
   
   
   
2. Describe some of the necessary assumptions needed for Erasthosenes method to work. Although this method produced a reasonably accurate measure of the size of the Earth, what do you think the major sources of error might be?
   
   
   
3. Explain how the concept of relative motion (first introduced by Cusa) helps to promote the idea that the Earth could be going around the Sun.
   
   
   
4. Explain how Galileo's observation of the phases of Venus implied (in fact almost proves) that the Sun must be at the center of the Solar System.
   
   
   
5. Explain the difference in cultural conditions in the time of Nicholas of Cusa compared to Bruno which lead to the latter being burned at the stake even though he mostly just re-iterated what Cusa had said.