Did you know that Gabriel Mouton (1618 - 1694, Lyon, France) was a clergyman who worked on interpolation [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/interpolation] and on astronomy?
"He obtained his doctorate in theology in Lyon. However he spent much of his spare time studying mathematics and astronomy. He took holy orders and spent his whole career in St Paul's Church in Lyon where he was appointed in 1646.
...His most famous work Observationes diametrorum solis et lunae apparentium published in 1670 studied interpolation and a standard of measurement based on the pendulum.
...In this work Mouton became the first to propose the decimal system of measurement based on the size of the earth. He also suggested a standard linear measurement, which he called the mille, based on the length of the arc of one degree of longitude on the Earth's surface and divided decimally. He suggested divisions he called the centuria, decuria, virga, virgula, decima, centesima and millesima so that a virgula, a ten thousandth of a mille, was about the size of the foot. Mouton wanted a practical means to determine the length of a virgula. Certainly one could not measure the circumference of the earth, so he proposed a standard based on the length of a pendulum. He conducted experiments which led him to the conclusion that a simple pendulum of length one virgula would oscillate 3959.2 times in 30 minutes. Mouton stated that there was a marvellous regularity in nature which made a metric system of measurement based on nature fit in with human activity.
...Mouton also produced 10 place tables of logarithmic sines and cosines and an astronomical pendulum of remarkable precision. As an astronomical observer he made remarkably accurate observations of the apparent diameter of the sun."
All this is taken from an article by: J J O'Connor and E F Robertson. (Lisbeth says it's important to give the date of this article, however, I couldn't find it.
...His most famous work Observationes diametrorum solis et lunae apparentium published in 1670 studied interpolation and a standard of measurement based on the pendulum.
...In this work Mouton became the first to propose the decimal system of measurement based on the size of the earth. He also suggested a standard linear measurement, which he called the mille, based on the length of the arc of one degree of longitude on the Earth's surface and divided decimally. He suggested divisions he called the centuria, decuria, virga, virgula, decima, centesima and millesima so that a virgula, a ten thousandth of a mille, was about the size of the foot. Mouton wanted a practical means to determine the length of a virgula. Certainly one could not measure the circumference of the earth, so he proposed a standard based on the length of a pendulum. He conducted experiments which led him to the conclusion that a simple pendulum of length one virgula would oscillate 3959.2 times in 30 minutes. Mouton stated that there was a marvellous regularity in nature which made a metric system of measurement based on nature fit in with human activity.
...Mouton also produced 10 place tables of logarithmic sines and cosines and an astronomical pendulum of remarkable precision. As an astronomical observer he made remarkably accurate observations of the apparent diameter of the sun."
All this is taken from an article by: J J O'Connor and E F Robertson. (Lisbeth says it's important to give the date of this article, however, I couldn't find it.
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