Claude Dechales anti-Copernican arguments question

In summary, the July 2017 edition of Physics Today features an article on the early description of the Coriolis effect. The author, Claude Dechales, argued against Copernicus' theory and claimed to have observed the Coriolis effect before it was named after Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis. However, his conclusion was based on the lack of observable evidence and it is unclear if he conducted any experiments. The Coriolis effect, which can be seen in the movement of weather systems and other natural phenomena, was eventually confirmed by Foucault's Pendulum.
  • #1
theo1234901
7
0
in the july 2017 edition of Physics today, there's an article on "Early Description of Coriolis Effect" which show Claude Dechales anti-copernican argument have shown the coriolis effect before Coriolis state the coriolis effect.

LINK:
http://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1063/PT.3.3610

My problem with this article is I can't figure it out why this arguments is wrong. Does this effect really happens in real life or are there something I'm missing?
 
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  • #2
His arguments are sound, but his conclusion rests on the statement that the effect has not been observed. Who knows what he tried, or what his expectations of the magnitude were. It isn't the most easily demonstrated effect, and Foucaults Pendulum came about much later.
 
  • #3
rumborak said:
His arguments are sound, but his conclusion rests on the statement that the effect has not been observed. Who knows what he tried, or what his expectations of the magnitude were. It isn't the most easily demonstrated effect, and Foucaults Pendulum came about much later.
So what you are saying we don have any clue that this is true?
 
  • #4
Coriolis is a 'geometrical effect' that can be said to have the same effect as a force. It is alive and well and can be observed in the fact that weather systems all produce winds that go in curves. You need vast distances for the Coriolis Effect to be noticeable.
People talk about the escaping bath water down the plughole following clockwise or anticlockwise spirals, depending on which hemisphere you're in but it's not a big enough effect to overcome the errors of any experiment that's been done.
 
  • #5
theo1234901 said:
So what you are saying we don have any clue that this is true?
Not sure what part you think wouldn't be true. As sophiecentaur says, the Coriolis effect obviously is real and happening; it can be observed every day in numerous things.

Maybe you're confused what the article is saying. All the article shows is that there was an individual who predicted the existence of the Coriolis effect long before Coriolis himself. However, in a historical oddity he actually tried to use it to *disprove* that the Earth is rotating. Whether he actually made any experiments, or whether he stopped at a quick "I can't see it, so it's not happening" thought, hard to tell. The guy was a Jesuit, so he may have been a bit quick to accept any counter argument against Copernicus.
 

1. What were some of Claude Dechales' main arguments against Copernicanism?

Dechales argued that the Earth could not be moving because it would cause objects to fly off its surface due to centrifugal force. He also believed that the lack of observable parallax (apparent shift in position) of stars showed that the Earth was stationary.

2. Did Dechales believe in a geocentric or heliocentric model of the universe?

Dechales believed in a geocentric model, in which the Earth was at the center of the universe and all other celestial bodies revolved around it.

3. How did Dechales' arguments compare to those of other anti-Copernican thinkers?

Dechales' arguments were similar to those of other anti-Copernican thinkers, such as Tycho Brahe and Aristotle, who also believed in a geocentric model and used similar arguments against Copernicanism.

4. Was Dechales a respected scientist in his time?

Yes, Dechales was a respected scientist and mathematician in his time. He was a member of the French Academy of Sciences and published several influential works in the fields of mathematics, physics, and astronomy.

5. How did Dechales' arguments impact the acceptance of the heliocentric model?

Dechales' arguments were influential in maintaining the geocentric model as the dominant theory for many years. However, with advancements in technology and the work of other scientists, such as Galileo and Kepler, the heliocentric model eventually gained widespread acceptance in the scientific community.

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