Science writer Gabrielle Walker goes punting on the River Cam to discover whether Aristotle's treatise on meteorology stands up to modern scrutiny.

He likens earthquakes to bodily ructions but remarkably knew that "where there is dry land there comes to be sea, and where there is now sea, there one day comes to be dry land".

Five scientists look back to their ancient forebears and examine how much of that early knowledge still stands the test of time.
Producer: Erika Wright

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2009 Show less