In my infinite wisdom, I’ve ended up booking myself to visit Oxford three separate times during my travels. Thus I decided to really take my time here. Starting off we began our visit with a guided tour of Oxford’s History of Science Museum and given an in-depth lesson on astrolabes.
Photo 1: Astrolabe
Esoteric in nature, astrolabes are an instrument of antiquity used, from what I understand, to determine the time of day based on the position of the sun or vice versa. The fact that before calculations you must calibrate the device with the astrological date fascinates me and further emphasises the age of these machines.
Until now, I hadn’t fully realised what a luxury we modern people have of knowing the exact time. Without this understanding, it’s hard to imagine the impact such a tool would have on all topics including scientific fields and religions with time-dependent practices such as prayer. Additionally, we saw some of Einstein’s work from when he used to tour for talks.
Photo 2: Einstein’s Blackboard
Spending my free time wandering around the school grounds, like many places in England, Oxford has a unique atmosphere thanks to its history and architecture. This feeling of a town spirit is missing in Chilliwack and Abbotsford. I wonder if in 1,000 years our cities will have a palpable zeitgeist like Europe seems to.
Photo 3: Oxford walk
This trip isn’t purely scientific and philosophical for me though, today or overall. I have made some great friends out here and spend every waking moment with them during my travels. After our dinner at Copthorne Tara Hotel, some Aussies and I went out to enjoy the nightlife.
Photo 4: Nightlife with Issie (left) and Tobias (right)
Given how quickly the time flies by, it’s hard not to dwell on the fact that after another 5 days, I might not be able to ever see these people again; Some days I’ll wake up with a sense of dread knowing it’s almost over. In the meantime, I’m trying my best to focus on what is and not what’s to come, and when I need a quick pick me up I can count on the wise words of my dear friend Issie
“She’ll be right”
– Connor