An example of an extended metaphor in historical scientific writing,
"Having stated at the beginning of this Account that my teacher[i.e., Copernicus] in writing his book imitated Ptolemy, I see that there is practically nothing left for me to take up with you in reference to his method of improving the motions. For Ptolemy's tireless diligence in calculating, his almost superhuman accuracy in observing, his truly divine procedure in examining and investigating all the motions and appearances, and finally his completely consistent method of statement and proof cannot be sufficiently admired and praised by anyone to whom Urania is gracious.
In one respect, however, a burden greater than Ptolemy's confronts my teacher. For he must arrange in a certain and consistent scheme or harmony the series and order of all the motions and appearances, marshalled on the broad battlefield of astronomy by the observations of 2,000 years, as by famous generals. Ptolemy, on the other hand, had the observations of the ancients, to which he could safely entrust himself, for scarcely a quarter of this period. Time, the true god and teacher of the laws of the celestial state, discloses the errors of astronomy to us. For an imperceptible or unnoticed error at the foundation of astronomical hypotheses, principles, and tables is revealed or greatly increased by the passage of time. Therefore my teacher must not so much restore astronomy as build it anew."
Rheticus (1959) The Narratio Prima (1539, Translated by. E. Rosen), in Three Copernican Treatises (Ed. E. Rosen) Dover Publications (pp.107-196).
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Many examples of science metaphors are listed in 'Creative comparisons: Making science familiar through language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.
Urania was the name of one of the ancient Greek muses, and she was associated with astronomy (and astrology). Urania can be seen as a personification of astronomy.
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Many examples of personification are included in 'Creative comparisons: Making science familiar through language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.
