Athanasius Kircher

(1601 - 1680)

The German polymath Athanasius Kircher was a prolific writer across many disciplines, studying music, geology, and medicine, among other subjects; he examined the interior of Vesuvius before an eruption, wondered if fireflies could be used as a source of light, and incorrectly believing to have deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics. A symposium on the scholar, “Was Athanasius Kircher the Coolest Guy Ever, or What?” was held at the New York Institute for the Humanities in 2002.