Could 'Aristotle and the gun' have ended better?

I presume you all have read the story Aristotle and the gun by L. Sprague de Camp ?

I reread it a few weeks ago and kept wondering if it would be at all possible for the time traveler to reach his goal? Namely to come back to the present and find an advanced society?

Anyone any ideas what he should have done to have a better outcome? Or do you think it was a mission impossible anyways?
 
Ok, this question is probably not formulated clearly enough.:eek:
Let me rephrase it.

A. The time traveler believes that the influential Aristotle's lack of interest in experiment had retarded scientific progress through much of subsequent history. Do think this assumption is correct?

B. If you think the assumption (A) is correct, would there be a way to convince Aristotle to use experiment as a way of advancing science?
 
Ok, this question is probably not formulated clearly enough.:eek:
Let me rephrase it.

A. The time traveler believes that the influential Aristotle's lack of interest in experiment had retarded scientific progress through much of subsequent history. Do think this assumption is correct?

B. If you think the assumption (A) is correct, would there be a way to convince Aristotle to use experiment as a way of advancing science?
A. Yes, i suspect its quite true.

B. Maybe, but the irony of the result probably made a better story.
 
A. The time traveler believes that the influential Aristotle's lack of interest in experiment had retarded scientific progress through much of subsequent history. Do think this assumption is correct?

No. There are a few instances of really weird conclusions, but even those (that I know of) could be explained if Aristotle just didn't know about sample size. Which he wouldn't have.

The main character would have done better to pose as a philosopher from somewhere else and merely introduced more modern scientific methodology. And if he could, a few other scientific tools for measurement, including a well built, smooth ramp so that way Aristotle can slow down the speed of falling objects without using a liquid medium, ruining his results.
 
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