'We must cultivate the natural curiosity and capabilities of children': Alan Finkel's 2020s vision

As Australia's chief science nerd, I found lessons for today in this obscure piece of science history. It can help us map our nation's future

• About this series

Let me share a story with you. It is a story of discovery and exploration.

We begin in 1751, in a small village in the north-east of France, when Joseph Lepaute Dagelet was born. Growing up, Dagelet looked up to his brother, Dominique, who was working in Paris with their uncle, the horloger du Roi - clockmaker to the King.