De Re Metallica

The modem term 'Signal to Noise Ratio' -a measure in science for comparing the level of a desired signal with that of its background noise -is used here with reference to the views of Adam Siber expressed in an elegy comparing the scientific and literary output of mediocre writers with that of Georgius Agricola (1494 -1555). Written in Latin, much of Agricola's important work still remains untranslated into English, but his numerous works formed the basis of the understanding of many geological and mineralogical principles. The authors, in the process of translating one of his works -De ortu <& causis suhterraneorum -found the prefatory elegy which is also written in Latin. This paper outlines salient aspects of Agricola's life, including the social, 'scientific' and technological milieu in which he worked, and the influence on him of writers, both contemporary and ancient. This serves as background to our translation of Siber's elegy, wherein Agricola's communication skills are compared most favourably with those of lesser communicators.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

De Re Metallica

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

List of publications on the economic and social history of Great Britain and Ireland published in 2005

List of publications on the economic and social history of Great Britain and Ireland published in 2005

Signal-to-noise ratio in Renaissance writing: an example concerning Georgius Agricola (1494-1555).

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About