Lecture 3: Applied Science

Question 1

How did the invention of the plow make science possible?

Answer 1

There are 4 components:

1. Free Time
2. Record Keeping
3. Standardized measurement system
4. Mathematics

Question 2

Why was there no science from the first civilization?

Answer 2

1. Religion/world view limits their potential into pursuing science that can bring technological advances to their society.
2. “People powerless in their relations with gods”

Question 3

Why were Greeks unique?

Answer 3

1. Religion/worldview: Greeks interacting with gods
2. Public communication networks (Not ‘internet’): Agora is a city square that encourages personal opinion over time
3. Law system (tangible evidence): It enhances critical thinking by presentation
4. Separation of Divine from natural phenomena: Removing themselves from the gods to try to explain and understand the workings of the world/universe.

Question 4

How does the religion aspect of Greeks trigger the separation of the divine?

Answer 4

Theogony - Mythology, 8th century BC: Hesiod was the first to assemble all the myths to state an argument.

Question 5

What was Hesiod’s argument?

Answer 5

He argued that there are different gods that controls the workings of the world/universe. However, he stated that humans can understand the workings of the world/universe without the intervention of the divine.

Question 6

What did Hesiod’s argument led to?

Answer 6

It led to the Pre-Socratics (Ionians) to become philosophers, which originated in Miletus (C. 600 BC)

Question 7

What happens by 600s BC?

Answer 7

By 600s BC, Miletus has:

1. Food Surplus
2. Spare Time
3. Writing
4. Mathematics
5. Time Keeping
6. Separation of divine from natural
7. Unrestricted communication networks

Question 8

Who is Thales of Miletus (c. 624 - 574 BC)?

Answer 8

He is the first philosopher/ scientist to reject the divine intervention

Question 9

What did Thales of Miletus invented?

Answer 9

He invented the following:

1. The height of the pyramid by the length of the shadow (Applied mathematics and geometry)
2. Predicted the solar eclipses (first Greek astronomer)
3. Discovered electricity (cannot be verified)

Question 10

Who is Anaximander of Miletus?

Answer 10

He was a student of Thales that introduce the world map and evolution theory.

Question 11

What was unique about Anaximander’s work?

Answer 11

It was unique because…

1. brought perspective to the world
2. Evolution theory did not credit the divine

Question 12

Who is Pythagoras (C. 569–475 BC)

Answer 12

He is a scientist/mathematician/philosopher that argued about the fundamental reality can be understood and expressed/studied by mathematics.

Question 13

How did Pythagoras describe the universe? What was the aftermath?

Answer 13

He described the universe through his work, “Pythagoreans’ Hearth of the Universe” but it started a chain of events and discussions that would lead to the scientific revolution.

Question 14

What was the difference between philosophers and scientists?

Answer 14

The difference between scientists and philosophers is that scientist will do observation/experimentation, whereas philosophers were stoic.

Question 15

Who is Parmenides of Elea (C. 515 BC)?

Answer 15

He is a philosopher that is part of the stoic movement.

Question 16

What was Parmenides’s argument?

Answer 16

His argument was that there is no change and that no point of acting does not make a difference. This makes moving objects be illusions, in accord to his argument.

Question 17

Who is Zeno of Elea (C. 490-425 BC)?

Answer 17

He was a follower of Parmenides and he also believed that their is no change. However, he modified that argument and stated that motion cannot exist that would result in no change.

Question 18

Who is Plato (C. 427 - 347 BC)

Answer 18

He was a pupil of Socrates, a famous philosopher/scientist, who was interested in understanding the fundamental reality.

Question 19

What is Plato’s argument?

Answer 19

He stated that with true knowledge, it cannot be obtained from the human senses but instead must be obtained by removing the “chains” and the “limitations” of the human perception

Question 20

How did Plato develop a theory for his argument?

Answer 20

He developed the theory, “Allegory of the cave” as this is related to seeing things in a microscopic level

Question 21

What did Plato establish?

Answer 21

He establishes the first institution called, “First Academy” that teaches through dialogue

Question 22

What other arguments did Plato make?

Answer 22

He made a statement that a sphere is a perfect form without impurities.

Question 23

Who is Empedocles (C. 492–432 BC)?

Answer 23

He was a modern scientist in his era that did experimentation/observation on volcanoes making himself a volcanologist.

Question 24

Who is Democritus (C. 460 - 360 BC)?

Answer 24

He was a scientist that was part of the movement in philosophy/ early science, where the early science would branch out from traditional philosophy to establish experimentalist.

Question 25

What is experimentalist?

Answer 25

It is a means of discovering the universe

Question 26

What did Democritus theorize?

Answer 26

He theorizes the existence of atoms and was nicknamed, “the Atomist”. His famous line is “Nothing exists except atoms and empty space”.

Question 27

Who is Aristotle (C. 384 - 322 BC)?

Answer 27

He was a student of Plato and the most influential Greek philosophers/scientists that proved that the Earth is spherical through the lunar eclipse.

Question 28

How did the lunar eclipse prove that the Earth is spherical?

Answer 28

It cased a circular shadow

Question 29

What did Aristotle introduce in the field of modern science?

Answer 29

1. Physic but specifically the concept of resistance
2. Biology as he recorded both the history and anatomy of animals

Question 30

What did Aristotle establish?

Answer 30

He created Lyceum (335 BC) in Athens, which is a school that introduced new technologies to create perfect citizens/ leaders

Question 31

What did Aristotle believe in?

Answer 31

He believed that senses are observation, mind is logic, logic is knowledge, but the problem is that logic overrides our senses.

Question 32

What were Aristotle thoughts on Earth?

Answer 32

He believed that the position of the Earth is at the centre of the universe.

Question 33

Who is Archimedes (c. 287 - 212 BC)?

Answer 33

He was a resident and inventor in Syracuse.

Question 34

What did Archimedes invented?

Answer 34

1. gearbox (reduction gears) that introduce sprockets
2. Built the Syracusia (c. 241 BC) that had a built in steam boiler and water pump
3. Built the mechanical Planeteria
   Islamic scholars created the mechanical clock from this idea
4. Built the Antikythera for navigation purposes
   Oldest mechanical computer

Question 35

Who did Syracuse allied with?

Answer 35

They allied with the Carthage before King Hiero II allied with the Romans

Question 36

What was the aftermath of the alliance?

Answer 36

1. Created a civil war, where some become pro-Carthaginians.
2. The king and his offspring dies
3. The pro-Carthaginians win but led to wraith of the Romans

Question 37

Who is Marcus Claudius Marcellus (c. 214 BC)?

Answer 37

He was a Roman General that was in charge of the siege of Syracuse for 2 years.

Question 38

What did Archimedes build during the Siege of Syracuse?

Answer 38

1. Catapults
2. Iron Claw
3. The crane
4. death ray

Question 39

Where did Archimedes study?

Answer 39

He studied at Alexandria