Most Influential Scientists Flashcards
624 -546 BC
No writings exist currently from this scientist but Aristotle spoke of him and said this man was the first to suggest a single material substratum for the universe (moisture, water) b/c he thought of the entire universe as a living organism.
He was more scientist b/c he didn’t attempt to explain nature by simplifying phenomena or in the caprices of anthropomorphic gods but by looking at water as an essential substance and looking for causes within nature itself.
Bridged myth and reason.
Included in the legendary Seven Wise Men and credited with:
- that a circle is bisected by its diameter
- that in a triangle the angles opposite two sides of equal length are equal
- that opposite angles formed by intersecting straight lines are equal
- that the angle inscribed inside a semicircle is a right angle
- that a triangle is determined if its base and the two angles at the base are given
THALES OF MILETUS
C. 624 - 546 BC
This ancient Greek philosopher & mathematician lived from 580 - 500 B.C.
He believed :
- The metaphysic of number and the conception that reality, including music and astronomy is, at it`s deepest level, mathematical in nature
- the use of philosophy as a means of spiritual purification
- the heavenly destiny of the soul and the possibility of its rising to union with the divine
PYTHAGORAS
*most likely, pythagoras theorem developed later at his school in Italy
This ancient Greek physician is traditionally regarded as the father of medicine
(460 -375 BC)
Writings that survive are mainly after his death from other physicians at the time.
HIPPOCRATES
This ancient Greek philosopher owed his teachings to Socrates, such as his commitment to philosophy, his rational method, and his concern for ethical questions.
(428 - 348 BC)
This man also founded the Academy (philosophy & scientific teachings and research)
PLATO
(428 - 348 B.C.)
(384 - 322 B.C.)
Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, one of the greatest intellectual figures of western history.
Joined the Academy that Plato started and remained as a pupil there for 20 years.
Did extensive biological research and classifying animals into genus and species (anatomy, diet, habitat, modes of copulation, reproduction systems).
His student was Alexander the Great, who established himself as master of an empire by 326 BC from the Danube to the Indus and including Libya and Egypt. During his campaigns, he had biological specimens sent to his teacher.
This Greek philosopher also set up a free, public school in a gymnasium, called Lyceum , which had its own library. His intellectual range was vast and included biology, chemistry, botany, ethics, history, logic, metaphysics, poetics, political theory, psychology, and zoology.
ARISTOTLE
(384 - 322 B.C.)
This prominent mathematician on GEOMETRY born in Egypt, wrote a book called Elements, which was compiled from previous scientist`s work (Hippocrates) . It included the construction of the five regular solids: pyramid, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron (known as Platonic solids)
*This book has had a major influence on mankind: it was the primary source of geometric reasoning, theorems, and methods, until the advent of this mathemeticians type of geometry. Other than the Bible, it is the most translated, published, and studied books of the Western world. He set a standard for deductive reasoning and geometric instruction that lasted for over 2000 years.
EUCLID
(c. 300 B.C.)
* *image of Euclidean Geometry example*
This famous mathematician and inventor born in Greece had a deep interest in mechanics, especially the sphere. He wrote books on theoretical mechanics and hydrostatics, and the treatise Method Concerning Mechanical Theorems.
The latin translations in medieval times and especially 1550-1650, greatly influenced Kepler, Galileo Galilei, Descartes, & Fermat.
Did model showing planets, moons, and sun.
ARCHIMEDES
(c. 285-212 B.C.)
This Roman savant and author of the celebrated Natural History , began his life in Germany in the military. He rose to Calvary Commander and on his last assignment in the Bay of Naples, saw an unusual cloud formation (Mt. Vesuvius eruption) and investigated but died of the subsequent toxic fume inhalation.
Of the 7 books he wrote, the Natural one is the only one that survives, which is further divided into 37 books.
Book 1. Summary of other 36 books
- cosmology/astronomy
3/4/5/6. physical and historical geography of the ancient world
7-11. Zoology (derived mainly from Aristotle)
12-19. Botany (chief source of Roman gardens, horticultural and agricultural species - crop rotation, farm mgmt, ox-driven grain harvester)
20-32. Medicine & Drugs (random comments provides insight into Roman life)
33-37. Minerals, Stones, Metals
**His influence based on his ability to condense and assemble previously unrelated facts, recognizing details others missed, linking factual and fictional data. His book (after the ancient world ended) became a ‘general eduction’ for people.
PLINY THE ELDER
(AD 23-79)
This Egyptian astronomer, mathemetician, and geographer is famous for his geocentric (earth-centred) model of the universe - known as the _________ system.
He believed the motions of planets, starts, moons could be explained mathematically. Explained in his book called Almagest.
Geographically, he recorded longitudes and latitudes in degrees for about 8,000 locations, allowing for a clear and detailed image of the world (inhabited parts) of the Roman Empire. Although detailed, it is very distorted compared with modern maps, due to having incomplete and inaccurate descriptions of roads and routes at his disposal.
WHO IS:
PTOLEMY
(AD 100-170 c.)
Famous for Ptolemaic system of the universe
This Greek physician, writer, and philosopher influenced medical theory and practice from the Middle Ages until the mid-17th century.
He heavily promoted anatomy as the basis of medicine and dissected often, which led to him showing that blood was carried in blood vessels (not air). Together with Hippocrates conceptions (also a physician), Galenic physiology heavily influeneced medicine for the next 1400 yrs. despite there being some errors, as we now know.
He believed, along with Hippocrates, that an equilibrium was needed between the 4 humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile) and each humour displays 2 of the 4 qualities: hot, cold, dry, or wet.
WHO IS:
GALEN OF PERGAMUM
(AD 129-216 c.)
This muslim mathematician and astronomer worked at the ‘House of Wisdom’ in Baghdad, where scientific and philosophical research and treatises were translated (especially from Greek).
Three major works this mathematician produced include:
- al-Kitāb al-Mukhtaṣar fī Ḥisāb al-Jabr wal-Muqābalah. “The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing”. This was translated into Latin in the 12th c. and this is where the word ‘Algebra’ comes from - al-Jabr.
- Algoritmi de numero Indorum. Only the latin translation of this 2nd work survives. This introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals and arithmatic to the Western world. The word ‘algorithm’ is derived from his muslim name (look at the title’s 1st word) and the algorithmic modules introduced by him are used in today’s computer programming.
- Kitab surat al-Ard. “The Book Image of the Earth”.This work is translated as ‘geography’ and is based on Ptolemy’s book on geography but with improved values for cities and locations in Asia and Africa.
AL-KHAWARIZMI
Full Name: Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī
(AD 780-850 c.)
This very influential Persion from Iran was an extraordianary physician and philosopher. He was well learned and accomplished by the age of 21. Soon after, his father died and his house overturned, so he began a nomad life. Despite this turmoil, he managed to continue writing very consistently, due to his intense concentration and intellectual prowess.
He wrote 2 famous books:
- Kitab al-shifa. “Book of Healing” - the largest work of its kind written by one person. He was influenced by Aristotle and other ancient Greeks.
- Al-Qanun fi al-tibb. “The Canon of Medicine”. The most famous, single book on medicine in both the West and East. It is a systemic encyclopedia based on achievements of Greek physicians, Arabic works, and his own experience. This book became the medical authority for several centuries (post-1000 AD) and his contributions equal that of Hippocrates and Galen (all Fathers of modern medicine)
AVICENNA
( AD 980-1037)
This English philosopher and educational reformer (and Franciscan Friar) became known as Doctor Mirabilis (latin for ‘wonderful teacher’)
He insisted on the study of nature through empiricism (as opposed to the other schools of thought: relativism, skepticism, pragamatism, naturalism, & rationalism) which emphasises collection of knowledge by sensory experience and evidence collected via experiments (guiding the scientific method)
Due to his studies on the nature of light and rainbows, optics was added to the medieval university curriculum.
Other noteworthy accomplishments included directions for making gunpowder in the West, even though it was invented in China. It would not be used as a weapon until the following century.
ROGER BACON
(AD 1220-1292)
This Italian painter, sculptor, architect, draftsman, and engineer epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal.
Although he received education in painting, sculputre, and mechanical arts, his hometown of Florence didn’t commission him until he was 30 years old (for The Adoration of the Magi)
Ultimately, he worked in Duke Sforza’s court for the next 17 years and completed 6 great works including The Virgin of the Rocks and The Last Supper
He also kept highly illustrated notebooks on human anatomy, mechanics, painting, and architecture and practiced ‘mirror’ writing.
Although he painted the Mona Lisa in about 1503, his scientific work took precedence and included anatomy, optical, mathematical, mechanical, geological, and botanical studies. He was extremely committed to observing the world through sight (‘saper vedere ‘Knowing how to see’) and gathering knowledge empirically.
LEONARDO DA VINCI
(AD 1452-1519)
This Polish astronomer proposed the heliocentric (“sun-centred”) model of the heavens, instead of the previous geocentric model (by Ptolemy)
He studied astrology and astronomy at University of Krakow, and later, he took medical studies until 1503 in Italy. When he returned to Poland, he mainly didadmin work such as collecting rents from church-owned lands, oversaw church finances, and managed some local buildings. Astronomical work was done in his spare time.
It was during this time he proposed that Earth and all the planets rotated around the Sun (“heliocentric”)
His published book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi (“Six Books Concerning the Revolutions of the Heavenly Orbs”) was finally published just 2 months before his death on May 24, 1543.
NICOLAUS COPERNICUS
(AD 1473-1543 )
This German-Swiss physician and alchemist who established the role of chemistry in medicine graduated with his baccalaureate in medicine in 1510, when he was only 17. He went on to get a doctoral degree in 1516.
He started to use the name “para” (above) “Celsus”( renowned 1st-Century Roman physician). He heavily criticised and rejected the current, accepted methods in medicine and is quoted as saying :
“The universities do not teach all things so a doctor must seek out old wives, gipsies, sorcerers, wandering tribes, old robbers, and such outlaws and take lessions from them. A doctor must be a traveller…Knowledge is experience.”
He also lectured and wrote in German, the local common tongue instead of academic language, Latin.
After his doctoral degree, he travelled wide and far in order to learn the most effective medical practices (nearly every country in Europe, Russia, Egypt, Arabia, and even Constantinople. By the time he returned at age 33, he reputation preceded him in Switzerland.
He made public displays such as burning books by Avicenna (Arabian physican) and Galen, another famour physician. He quickly made many enemies due to his outspoken rejection of many medical treatments at the time, and he had to flee for 8 years.
He published Der grossen Wundartzney (“Great Surgery Book”) which gained him a great reputation again.
His reputation as a physician was outstanding for this time period as he successfully treated infections, wounds, syphilis, determining the cause of goitre, and miner’s diseas which was the miners simply breathing in metal dust. He is said to even cured patients in a town of a plague by feeding them bread pills with a very tiny amount of the patient’s excreta.
Uniting medicine with chemistry, he heavily contributed to the London Pharmacopoeia published in 1618, nearly 80 years after his death with his unique remedies including mercury, sulphur, iron, and copper suphate.
PARACELSUS
(AD 1493-1541 )
