SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY | Lesson 1: Historical Development of S&T in the World

Summary

This educational video explores the historical development of science and technology, highlighting the socio-economic impact of scientific advancements. It traces the evolution from early human artifacts to ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian records, through the contributions of philosophers like Archimedes and the intellectual stagnation of the early Middle Ages. The script emphasizes the importance of empirical methods and the role of thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Albertus Magnus, and Roger Bacon in shaping scientific thought.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Science and technology are integral to modernity and are crucial for the rapid development and socio-economic progress of a country.
• 🔍 The earliest forms of science and technology can be traced back to prehistoric times, with the use of roughly shaped stones for chopping and scraping, primarily found in eastern Africa.
• 📚 Some of the earliest records of science came from Mesopotamian cultures around 400 BCE, including observations on chemical substances and astronomy.
• 🏛 In ancient Egypt, around 300-400 BCE, there were treatments for wounds and diseases, and mathematical calculations were used in geometry and trigonometry.
• 🤓 From 300-400 BCE, philosophers like Euclid, known as the 'father of geometry,' and Archimedes, the founder of engineering mechanics, made significant contributions to science.
• 📏 Archimedes calculated the value of pi (approximately 3.14159) and invented the water pump, pulley system, iron cloth, and odometer.
• 🛡️ The early Middle Ages, post the fall of the Western Roman Empire, saw a concentration of intellectual, scientific, and technological activities mainly within the Christian faith.
• 🌿 Medicine and botanical knowledge were discovered and used for church duties to help and tend to the sick during the Middle Ages.
• 📖 There were challenges during the Middle Ages, such as limited access to scientific literature written in Greek due to language barriers.
• 📚 The language of the period transitioned from Latin to the prevalence of Latin in Western Christianity, with few books containing scientific subject matter.
• 🧠 Key thinkers of the early Middle Ages included Plato, Aristotle, Albertus Magnus, and Roger Bacon, who emphasized the importance of natural causes and empirical methods in understanding the world.

Q & A

What is the significance of the historical development of science and technology in the world?

The historical development of science and technology is significant as it determines the socio-economic progress of a country and is considered essential for rapid development.

What were the earliest forms of science and technology found during prehistoric times?

The earliest forms of science and technology were human artifacts, roughly shaped stones used for chopping and scraping, found primarily in eastern Africa around 2.3 million years ago.

Which cultures provided some of the earliest records of science?

Mesopotamian cultures around 400 BCE provided some of the earliest records of science, including the treatment of wounds and diseases, and astronomical observations.

Who is known as the father of geometry?

Yusuf, also known as Euclid, is known as the father of geometry.

What is the value of pi that Archimedes calculated and how is it still relevant today?

Archimedes calculated the value of pi to be approximately 3.14159, which is still used today in various mathematical and scientific applications.

What inventions are attributed to Archimedes?

Archimedes invented the water pump, the pulley system, the iron cloth, and the odometer.

What challenges did medieval intellectuals face in their pursuit of scientific knowledge?

Medieval intellectuals faced challenges such as lack of time for scientific occupations and limited access to scientific literature written in Greek.

What language was prevalent in the early and middle periods of scientific literature?

Latin was the language used during the early and middle periods, but few books contained scientific subject matter.

Who are some of the philosophers or intellectual thinkers mentioned in the early middle period?

Plato, Aristotle, Albertos Magnus, and Roger Bacon are some of the philosophers or intellectual thinkers mentioned in the early middle period.

What was the belief of Roger Bacon regarding the basis of science?

Roger Bacon believed that science must be based on empirical methods.

How did the fall of the Western Roman Empire impact the concentration of intellectual, scientific, and technological activities?

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, intellectual, scientific, and technological activities were concentrated mainly in the Christian faith.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Historical Development of Science and Technology

This paragraph introduces the lesson's focus on the historical development of science and technology. It outlines the learning objectives, which include discussing the role of science and technology in modernity, identifying their historical evolution, tracing eras of discovery, and appreciating the contributions of intellectual thinkers. The script mentions the importance of understanding the socio-economic impact of science and technology, starting from the earliest human artifacts found in Eastern Africa around 2.3 million years ago. It highlights early records of science from Mesopotamian cultures and the Nile Valley of Egypt, including treatments of wounds, diseases, and mathematical calculations. The paragraph also acknowledges the contributions of figures like Yusuf, known as the father of geometry, and Archimedes, who made significant advancements in engineering and calculated the value of pi, among other inventions.

05:02

📚 Intellectual Thinkers and the Middle Ages

The second paragraph delves into the intellectual and scientific developments during the early Middle Ages, following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It discusses the concentration of scientific and technological activities within the Christian faith, with a focus on medicine and botanical knowledge. The paragraph introduces several influential thinkers of the time, including Plato and Aristotle, who provided clues for understanding the natural world within a Christian context. It also mentions Albertus Magnus, known as Albert the Great, who believed in natural causes for natural phenomena. The paragraph highlights Roger Bacon, known as Dr. Mirabilis, an English Franciscan philosopher who advocated for empirical methods in science. The paragraph also touches on the challenges faced by medieval intellectuals, such as the lack of time for scientific pursuits and limited access to scientific literature written in Greek.

Keywords

💡Science and Technology

Science and technology are the central themes of the video, representing the systematic study of the physical world and its application for practical purposes. They are crucial for modernity and rapid development, as the state of science and technology is a determinant of a country's socio-economic progress. The script discusses their historical development, showing how they have evolved over time and impacted society.

💡Historical Development

Historical development refers to the evolution of ideas, practices, or entities over time. In the context of the video, it specifically addresses the progression of science and technology from ancient times to the present, highlighting key periods and figures that contributed to advancements in these fields.

💡Prehistoric Artifacts

Prehistoric artifacts are objects made or used by early humans, providing evidence of early technological development. The script mentions roughly shaped stones used for chopping and scraping, found primarily in eastern Africa, as examples of the earliest forms of technology, dating back 2.3 million years ago.

💡Mesopotamian Cultures

Mesopotamian cultures, dating around 400 BCE, are one of the earliest recorded civilizations contributing to the development of science. The script cites records from these cultures, such as symptoms, chemical substances, and astronomical observations, as evidence of the emergence of early scientific knowledge.

💡Egyptian Medicine

Egyptian medicine refers to the medical practices and knowledge developed in ancient Egypt. The script notes that information about the treatment of wounds and diseases was found, indicating an early understanding of medical treatments and the application of scientific principles to healthcare.

💡Geometry

Geometry is a branch of mathematics concerned with the properties and relationships of points, lines, surfaces, and solids. The script identifies Yusuf (Euclid) as the father of geometry, whose works significantly influenced the understanding of geometric principles.

💡Archimedes

Archimedes was an ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, and engineer. The script highlights his contributions to the field of mechanics, his calculation of the value of pi, and his inventions such as the water pump and the pulley system, which are still relevant today.

💡Middle Ages

The Middle Ages, also referred to in the script as the early middle period, was a time following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The script discusses how intellectual, scientific, and technological activities during this period were concentrated mainly in Christian faith and how certain scientific issues arose due to limited access to scientific literature.

💡Islamic Golden Age

The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period in the 8th to 13th centuries when the Islamic world made significant strides in various fields, including science. Although not explicitly named in the script, the mention of the coming of Islam in the 7th century and the rise of Charlemagne in the 8th century alludes to the beginning of this era.

💡Empirical Methods

Empirical methods are based on observation and experimentation. The script mentions Roger Bacon, who advocated for science to be grounded in empirical methods, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based research in the advancement of knowledge.

💡Socio-economic Progress

Socio-economic progress refers to the overall improvement in the social and economic conditions of a society. The script suggests that the state of science and technology is a key determinant of such progress, indicating the interdependence of technological advancement and societal well-being.

Highlights

Science and technology are essential for modernity and rapid development, with their state determining a country's socio-economic progress.

The earliest human artifacts date back to 2.3 million years ago, primarily found in Eastern Africa, and include roughly shaped stones for chopping and scraping.

Early records of science from Mesopotamian cultures around 400 BCE include symptoms, chemical substances, and astronomical observations.

In the Nile Valley of Egypt, records of wound and disease treatments and mathematical calculations in geometry and trigonometry were found.

Yusuf is recognized as the father of geometry, and Archimedes as the founder of engineering mechanics and the calculator of pi's value.

Archimedes invented the water pump, pulley system, iron cloth, and odometer, contributing significantly to ancient technology.

During the early Middle Ages, tools, machines, and techniques were utilized without a full understanding of their physical and chemical composition.

The early Middle Ages began after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD and marked the rise of Charlemagne and Islamic influence.

Intellectual, scientific, and technological activities were concentrated in Christian faith, with medicine and botanical knowledge being discovered for church duties.

Medieval intellectuals were occupied with clerical duties, limiting their time for scientific pursuits and access to Greek scientific literature.

Latin was the language of the early Middle Ages, but its scientific literature was limited, with few books containing scientific subject matter.

Plato's works provided clues for the natural world view in Christianity, emphasizing goodness as a measure to identify God's benevolence.

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, contributed significantly to human knowledge with his book 'Physics', focusing on natural creation.

Albertus Magnus, known as Albert the Great, was a universal thinker of the Middle Ages, advocating natural causes for natural phenomena.

Roger Bacon, known as Dr. Mirabilis, was an English Franciscan philosopher who believed in empirical methods as the basis for science.

The historical development of science and technology is marked by the evolution of understanding and application of natural laws and empirical methods.

Transcripts

[Music]

good day everyone welcome back to our

core subject the science technology and

society for today's discussion is the

continuation of our lesson one which is

the science and technology throughout

the history and now we will discuss the

topic historical development of science

and technology in the world but before

that we have here our learning

objectives at the end of the lesson

students are able to discuss the science

and technology in the world identify the

historical evolution of science and

technology and trace the various era of

discoveries and

appreciate the intellectual thinkers and

the invention of science and technology

has shown in this lesson we're going to

tackle the historical development of

science and technology in the world so

science and technology is associated in

all means of modernity and is considered

as an essential for rapid development

the state of science and technology

determines the socio-economic progress

of a country in the ancient time the

earliest form of science and technology

were human artifacts found during

prehistoric time about 2.3 million years

ago they were roughly

shaped stones used for chopping and

scraping that are found primarily in

eastern africa some of the earliest

records of science came from

mesopotamian cultures around 400 or 400

before christ some of the earliest

records such as the deceased symptoms

chemical substances and astronomical

observations were some of the evidence

of emerging signs during the same period

in the nile valley of egypt information

of the treatment of wounds and diseases

were found mathematical calculations are

used in geometry and trigonometry such

as angles

rectangles triangles and the volume

portion of a pyramid that have been

found around for thousands of years from

300 bc to 400 bc there was a rise in the

number of philosophers oral topics on

psychology

biology and host of other topics one of

this was yusuf who was known to be the

father of geometry we also have

archimedes who is the founder of

engineering mechanics and calculated the

value of pi which is the value of pi is

3.14 15 92 and so on which is still used

up to this day archimedes also invented

the water pump

the pulley system the iron cloth and the

odometer however

people during this period have developed

and utilized tools machines and

techniques without fully understanding

or knowing how or why they worked in

physical and chemical composition during

the early middle period this period

began after the fall of western roman

empire in 476 a.d or

476 anu domini on the 7th century it was

the time of the coming of islam and on

the 8th century it was the rise of

charlemagne this time also was the

intellectual scientific and

technological activities were

concentrated mainly in christian faith

at this period medicine and botanical

knowledge was discovered and it was used

for the church duty to help and tend the

sick there were also scientific issues

that happened in this period first

reason

was the medieval intellectuals had no

time for occupation like in science the

second one is that clerics and

intellectual thinkers do not have access

to the vast amount of scientific

literature written in greek let us jump

to the language being used at this

period first is brick which is written

in before and during roman empire it was

also the language the middle period but

was lost consequently after that was the

latte it prevailed in western

christianity but few books are contained

scientific subject matter

these are the philosophers or

intellectual thinkers in the early

middle period first is plato his works

provide suitable clues for the view of

natural world in christianity consider

that there must be a measure of goodness

in order to identify god as benevolent

and maintain their be standard of

goodness the independent of god next is

aristotle

384-322 before christ he is a greek

philosopher and a polymath

with his book physics it made

significant and lasting contribution to

human knowledge he thinks the creation

of the world is based on nature only

next one is albertos magnus from 1200 to

1000

he is known as albert the great and was

one of the most universal thinkers to

appear during the middle ages

he also believes in natural ways as the

result of natural causes

and also we have roger bacon from 1214

to 1294

bacon was known as dr mirabilis which is

in latin means wonderful teacher and he

is also an english franciscan

philosopher bacon also thought that

science

must be based in empirical methods