The ancient Britons, increasingly dependent on agriculture, were obliged to
study the seasons. So they founded a school of insomniac scientists—and
built them long barrows to calibrate the movement of the stars, and later,
henges of wood and stone for observing the Sun and Moon. These people were not
druids or religious mystics, argues the erudite John North in Stonehenge, but
accomplished mathematicians and astronomers who, long before the arrival of
written numbers, developed a sophisticated angular geometry. Published by The
Free Press, $35, ISBN 0684845121.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Life
Himalayan wolf-dog hybrids emerge as a threat to wolves and people
News

Environment
First test of CO2 removal with green sand finds no harm to marine life
News

Space
SpaceX is about to launch tallest and most powerful rocket in history
News

Environment
Cleaning up air pollution could weaken vital AMOC ocean current
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Rebooting stem cells builds aged muscles and assists injury recovery
2
Neanderthals treated a dental cavity by drilling into the tooth
3
Himalayan wolf-dog hybrids emerge as a threat to wolves and people
4
Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum
5
First test of CO2 removal with green sand finds no harm to marine life
6
Where did the laws of physics come from? I think I've found the answer
7
SpaceX is about to launch tallest and most powerful rocket in history
8
Asteroid set to fly very close to Earth
9
A new tectonic plate boundary could be forming in southern Africa
10
CAR T-cell therapy bolstered by stiffening up cancer cells first