The Real Ithaca and the Secrets of the Odyssey - More about this podcast
This week on the Naked Scientists we’re putting on our togas on and venturing back in time to find out how modern science can help us to answer ancient questions. We’re on the lookout for Homer’s mythical (or is it?) island of Ithaca, with Robert Bittlestone, John Underhill and James Diggle – co-authors of the book Odysseus Unbound - while Dave and Ben get in the bath in the name of kitchen science.
In search of Ithaca
When ancient Greek author Homer wrote the Odyssey, his epic poem of hero Odysseus’ return from the Trojan war to his palace on the island of Ithaca, he described a place that bears little resemblance to Ithaki, the island widely believed to be the actual location of the story. Today’s Ithaca is mountainous, not the low-lying place described in the poem. And where are the other islands mentioned in the Odyssey?
This puzzle has baffled scholars and historians for two thousand years, but thanks to modern science, Robert Bittlestone and his colleagues believes they may have solved the mystery. What if Homer was right all along – but geological forces have been at work in the meantime, changing the landscape from the Ithaca of ancient times to the island we see today?
The area is one of the most geologically active places in the world, where the African continental plate hits the Eurasian plate. The earth shakes nearly every month, and earthquakes are well known. Could this activity have changed Ithaki so dramatically over just a few thousand years?
We’ll be joined by professor John Underhill from the University of Edinburgh, who has led an international team of geologists on a modern day quest to investigate the Ithaca puzzle. His latest results are promising, but do they prove anything? And also in the studio will be James Diggle, Professor of Greek and Latin at Cambridge University, to help us make sense of Homer’s words.
Bath time for Ben
We’re also going Greek for this week’s Kitchen Science, as Ben and Dave re-create Archimedes’ famous “Eureka!” moment. They’ll be comparing the density of gold to other common substances. We have been promised there won’t be any nudity, but you can never be too sure on the Naked Scientists…
And finally, Meera will be peering into the void, to find out about the technology and science we use to see objects buried underground – vital for archaeologists, rescuers and forensic scientists alike.
So for a truly classical experience, join us this Sunday at 6pm – togas optional!