PSC 125 The History of Science Prehistory to 1900
PSC 125
The History of Science
Prehistory to 1900
Prehistoric Science
Observation
Knowledge Acquisition
Technology
Humanoid to Human
Homo Neanderthalis
Great Leap Forward
Art in Prehistory
Fertility sculptureVenus of Willendorf
~ 22,000 BC
Limestone tintedwith Red Ocher
ART IN PREHISTORY
CAVE PAINTINGLASCAUX,
ALTAMIRACOSQUER
PIGMENTS:CharcoalHematiteLimonite
Metallurgy
Copper Age
Bronze AgeAlloy
Neolithic Revolution
Why There?
Access to Fresh Water
Temperate Climate
Native plants, animals
Why Change?
Large Animal extinction
Carrying Capacity
Climate shifts
Population growth
Neolithic Revolution
• Domestication of plants and animalsmainly in resource - rich areas
• Emergence of trade societies
• Diet: Protein –> Carbohydrate
• Reduction of Biodiversity
New Necessities
Storage
Textiles
Structure materials
When/Where did this occur?SW Asia 8500 BC Wheat, peas Goats,
Sheep
China 7500 BC Rice, Millet Pigs, Silkworms
S. America 3500 BC PotatoManioc
Central US 2500 BC Sunflowers
Sahel 5000 BC Sorghum Fowl
Egypt 6000 BC Figs Donkey, CAT
India 7000 BC Sesame Cattle
How Do we Know?
EVIDENCE:
Geological
Atomic
Biological
Radioisotope Analysis
14Carbon Dating
Argon/Potassium
Tritium
Carbon Isotopes
The Ice Man (Otzi)
Shroud of Turin
Half Life
Elements of Civilization Development of Agriculture
irrigation systems, Trade
Monuments
Writing systems
Mathematics
Astronomy calendars, navigation
Monuments
Ziggurat of ur
Pyramids
Monuments
BEIJING
HARAPPA
STONEHENGE
Writing Systems
Pictures
Pictograms
syllabic systems
ALPHABETIC SYSTEMS
Numerical Systems
Vigesimal (Base 20)
Astronomy
Navigation
Circumpolar stars
Fertile Crescent
Cuneiform
Hammurabi
Legal Code
Diagnosis/Treatment
Magic vs. Medicine
Fee Schedules
Mathematics
Sexigesimal (Base 60)
Astronomy
Wanderers
The 7-day WeekEnglish Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
French Dimanche Lundi Mardi Mercredi Jeudi Vendredi Samedi
Spanish Domingo Lunes Martes Miercoles Jueves Viernes Sabado
Italian Domenica Luedi Martedi Mercoledi Giovedi Venerdi Sabato
German
Sonntag Montag Dienstag Mittwoch Donnerstag Freitag Samstag
Dutch Zondag Maandag Dinstag Woensdag Donderstag Vrijdag Zaterdag
The Ancient World
Ancient Egypt
Pyramid orientation
Sopdet
Hieroglyphs
Rosetta Stone
Egyptian Calendars
• 360 day + 5 festival days
• Rising of Sopdet
Mathematics
Decimal system
No zero value
Math Problems
Geometry
“Sacred ratio”
Φ=1.618033988749894848204586834365638117720309179805762862135448622705260462818902449707207204189391137484754088075386891752126633862223536931793180060766726354433389086595939582905638322661319928290267880675208766892501711696207032221043216269548626296313614438149758701220340805887954454…
Egyptian Medicine
Sekhmet
Medicine
Embalming
Afterlife
Hapi, Duamutef, Qebehsenuef, Imseti
Alchemy
• Emerald Tablet(Hermetica)
The Central Kingdom
Calendar
LUNAR MANSIONS
The heavens
White Road - Moon’s path
Yellow Road - Sun’s path
Red Road - Equator
Astronomy
Celestial Palaces:
Fire Star
Bird Star
Seven Sisters
Empty Sky
Celestial Stems
Five Elements/Principles
x
Two (Yin/Yang)
Decimal System
Pictograms
Herbalism Tradition
300+ plants
36 minerals
Indus Valley
Harappa
Mohenjo-Daro
Harappa
Mohenjo-Daro
Indus ScriptJar Priest
Man Servant
Spear Warrior
Fish Fish or Star
Bearer Officer
THE AMERICAS
Monuments
Agriculture
Monuments
Chichen Itza
Macchu Picchu
Olmec Script
Calendar Stone
Mediterranean World
Greece
Mycenae
Ionian Dawn
Miletus
Materialism
Myth tocosmology
Thales(640 - 546 BC)
Water
Eclipse 585 BC
First Proof(Geometry)
Anaximander(611 - ?? BC)
Apeiron(chaos)
Ceaseless Motion
Curved Earthsuspended in Air
Anaximenes(585 - 525 BC)
MistRarefactionCondensation
Flat Earth
Pure Atoms forceothers Downward
Heraclitus vs. Parmenides
CHANGE/FLUX
Earth’s Axis
Flux = Illusion
Finite Universe
Eleatic School
Greek Colony
LOGIC
ZENO
Xenophanes
Pythagoras
Pythagoreans
“EVERYTHING IS NUMBER”
Irrational Numbers
“Inexpressibles”
Immortality
PYTHAGOREAN MUSIC
Harmonics
Pythagorean Astronomy
Spherical Earth
Earth & Counter-Earth
Democritus(460 - 370 BC)
Atomist
“Laughing philosopher”
Human Evolution viatrial & Error
Empedocles(490 - 430 BC)
4 Roots
Two Forces
Naturalselection
Clepsydra
“Water-Stealer”
The End of Empedocles
“To the elements it came from
Everything will return.
Our bodies to earth, Our blood to water, Heat to fire, Breath to air. “
Elements
All Things are a combinationof the 4 roots
Greek Medicine
Temple medicine
Asclepiosphysician -> God
Alcmaeon of Croton
Cnidos
Dissection
Pythagorean?
Brain = centerof sensory Function
Hippocratic Medicine
School of Cos
Observation:dreamsastrological signbody fluids
Humors
Balance
of
Black BileYellow BileBloodPhlegm
Hippocrates of Cos Father of
Professional Medicine
Case Histories
Therapy
Cause of Disease
Role of Weather
Abortion Ban
Dissection
Hippocratic Oath
“I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked”