Dr. Alexander Jones

Biography

Alexander Jones is a Professor of History at the Institute for the Study of Ancient World at New York University. He specializes in the history of the transmission of mathematical sciences, particularly in relation to astronomy. He has an academic background in Classics and ancient mathematical sciences, having studied at Brown University. Over the years, he has worked extensively on the mathematical texts and astronomical artifacts of the Hellenistic and Roman periods, with a focus on the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient Greek analog computer. His recent publications include co-editing 'Mathematics, Metrology, Model Contracts: Codex Late Antique Business Education' and 'Portable Cosmos: Revealing the Antikythera Mechanism, Scientific Wonder of the Ancient World.' He has also authored several editions of Greek scientific texts and works on the astronomical manuscript tradition. His current research interests include the contacts between Babylonian and Greco-Roman astronomy and astrology and the scientific contributions of Claudius Ptolemy. He has received numerous honors, including the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Francis Bacon Award for History of Science. Jones has curated significant exhibitions on ancient mathematics at ISAW and is actively involved in various scholarly organizations.

Research Interests

Experience