Airy: The Lucasian Professor Who Shaped Greenwich, Gravity, and the Airy Disk

In this episode we explore Sir George Biddell Airy, the 10th Lucasian Professor, whose work at the Royal Observatory helped shape GPS, timekeeping, and global navigation. We cover his major contributions—from the Airy disk in optics to measuring Earth's density and establishing the Greenwich meridian—alongside the controversies surrounding Neptune's discovery and the Tay Bridge disaster, highlighting both his triumphs and the complexities of scientific authority.

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