Ancient Star Myths Encode Scientific Truths - Dr. Duane Hamacher, U. of Melbourne, DSPod #287

We bring you a discussion about the secrets of ancient astronomy with Dr. Duane Hamacher, an Associate Professor of Cultural Astronomy in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne. Our conversation explores the importance of astronomical observation to ancient people around the world, but particularly those of aboriginal Australia. We ask why so many cultures, geographically isolated, present the same myths for identical constellations. We also explore the migration out of Polynesia and ponder the world during the last ice age. Tell us your thoughts in the comments! Sign up for our Patreon and get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB AND rock some Demystify Gear to spread the word: https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/ OR do your Amazon shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/4g2cPVV (00:00) Go! Exploring the intersection of science and mythology in ancient sky observations (00:07:18) The significance of oral traditions and mythology in preserving ancient knowledge (00:22:02) Myth and mysticism in science and indigenous knowledge (00:23:28 Science as modern mythology (00:26:13) Myth vs mysticism: encoding ancient knowledge (00:29:01) Mythology and empirical myths in science (00:32:59) Evolution of scientific knowledge (00:43:10) Understanding Mythology as Knowledge Transmission (00:46:08) Speculations on Cosmic Events in Mythology (00:49:03) Challenges in Preserving Indigenous Knowledge (00:54:12) Impact of Academic Research on Indigenous Communities (01:04:14) Ancient astronomical predictions and variable stars (01:05:23) Understanding eclipsing binary systems (01:06:20) Ancient Egyptian records and astrophysical insights (01:07:56) Cultural interpretations of celestial events (01:09:19) Oral traditions and eclipse predictions (01:24:42) Ancient cultures' advanced astronomical knowledge (01:28:08) Polynesian migration and cultural astronomy (01:36:03) Underwater archaeology and sea level rise (01:45:29) Celestial Motifs in Global Religions (01:48:17) Venus and Cultural Symbolism (01:49:10) Astronomical Basis of Cultural Rituals (01:54:01) Cross-Cultural Constellations (01:57:03) The Myth of the Seven Sisters (02:05:55) Human Perception of Constellations (02:07:04) Cultural Influence on Constellation Creation (02:25:21) The impact of interdisciplinary collaboration #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast, #Mythology, #AncientKnowledge, #OralTraditions, #IndigenousWisdom, #CulturalAstronomy, #ScienceAndMyth, #CosmicEvents, #AstronomyHistory, #AncientAstronomy, #PolynesianNavigation, #MythVsMysticism, #AncientEgypt, #CulturalRituals, #VenusSymbolism, #SevenSistersMyth, #CrossCulturalAstronomy, #Constellations, #InterdisciplinaryScience, #UnderwaterArchaeology, #HumanOrigins Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671