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History of Science & Technology

80 cards · 🇺🇸 English

Landmark scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs.

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Where can the earliest roots of scientific thinking be traced?

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1Where can the earliest roots of scientific thinking be traced?
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE
2What three major branches does science encompass?
Natural science, social science, and formal science
3What happened to Greek scientific knowledge after the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
It deteriorated in Latin-speaking Western Europe during 400-1000 CE, but continued to thrive in the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire
4What was the Islamic Golden Age's role in science?
The Hellenistic worldview was preserved and absorbed into the Arabic-speaking Muslim world, aided by translations of Greek texts
5When was Greek and Islamic scientific knowledge recovered in Western Europe?
From the 10th to 13th century, reviving the learning of natural philosophy in the West
6When did the Scientific Revolution occur?
During the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe
7What characterized the New Science of the Scientific Revolution?
More mechanistic worldview, more integrated with mathematics, and more reliable and open knowledge based on the newly defined scientific method
8What was the chemical revolution?
An 18th-century revolution that introduced new quantitative methods and measurements for chemistry
9What major scientific concepts emerged in the 19th century?
Conservation of energy, age of Earth, and evolution
10What new sub-disciplines emerged in the 20th century?
Molecular biology and particle physics, based on new discoveries in genetics and physics
11What is 'big science'?
An era of increasingly complex research with industrial and military concerns, particularly after World War II
12What was the conflict thesis?
A thesis postulated by John William Draper (c. 1874) suggesting religion and science have been in conflict throughout history; it has since lost favor among historians
13When was the Royal Society established?
In 1660, with its code of experiment becoming trustworthy because witnessed by its members
14How was knowledge transmitted in prehistoric times?
Through oral tradition passed from generation to generation
15When was maize domesticated in Mexico?
About 9,000 years ago in southern Mexico, before the development of writing systems
16What was a key feature of oral tradition in preliterate societies?
Its fluidity - new information was constantly absorbed and adjusted to new circumstances or community needs
17Why was the development of writing important for science?
It enabled humans to store and communicate knowledge across generations with much greater accuracy
18What did megalithic structures at Nabta Playa in Egypt feature?
Astronomy and calendar arrangements aligned with the heliacal rising of Sirius, calibrating the yearly calendar for the annual Nile flood
19What numbering system did ancient Egyptians use?
A decimal numbering system developed starting c. 3000 BCE
20Why did ancient Egyptians develop geometry?
To solve practical problems like surveying to preserve farmland layout and ownership after annual Nile floods
21What geometric knowledge did Egyptians use in architecture?
The 3-4-5 right triangle and other rules of geometry for building rectilinear structures
22What did ancient Egyptians believe caused disease?
The invasion of bodies by evil forces or spirits, according to medical papyri (c. 2500-1200 BCE)
23What medical treatments did ancient Egyptians use?
Medicine, prayer, incantation, and ritual combined
24When was the Ebers Papyrus written?
Around 1600 BCE, containing medical recipes for treating various diseases and conditions
25What did the Edwin Smith Papyrus contain?
A surgical manual for treating wounds, fractures, and dislocations (written around 1600 BCE)
26What four components did Egyptian papyri apply to treating disease?
Examination, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis - showing parallels to the basic empirical method of science
27What type of calendar did ancient Egyptians develop?
An official calendar with twelve months of thirty days each, plus five days at the end of the year
28What pioneering medical discovery was found in Nubian mummies?
Evidence of tetracycline use between 350-550 AD, suggesting early antibiotic use from beer-making bacteria
29What geometric understanding did Nubians demonstrate?
A sophisticated understanding of mathematics including the harmonic ratio, and use of geometry in creating early sun clocks
30What knowledge did ancient Mesopotamians have about materials?
Extensive knowledge about chemical properties of clay, sand, metal ore, bitumen, stone, and other materials for manufacturing