CRADDLES OF EARLY SCIENCE • the first suspension bridge; quipu, a system
of knotted ropes to keep records that only
Development of Science in Mesoamerica
The maya civilization is one of the famous
civilizations that lasted for approximately 2,000
years.
• They incorporated their advanced
understanding of astronomy into their
temples and other religious structures.
• They are known for their knowledge of
predicting eclipse and using astrological
cycles in planting and harvesting.
• They are also known for measuring time
using two complicated calendar systems.
• They developed the technology for growing
different crops and building elaborate cities
using ordinary machineries and tools.
• They built looms for weaving cloth and
devised a rainbow of glittery paints made
from a mineral called mica.
• They are also believed to be one of the first
people to produce rubber products 3,000
years before Goodyear received its patent in
1844.
• They are one of the world’s first civilizations
to use a writing system known as the Mayan
hieroglyphics;
• They were also skilled in mathematics and
created a number system based on the
numeral 20.
• They independently developed the concept
of zero and positional value, even before the
Romans did
The Inca civilization is also famous in
Mesoamerica. The following were scientific ideas
and tools that they developed to help them in
everyday life:
• roads paved with stones;
• stone buildings that surmounted
earthquakes and other disasters;
• irrigation system and technique for storing
water for their crops to grow in all types of
land;
• calendar with 12 months to mark their
religious festivals and prepare them for
planting season;
experts can interpret; and
• Inca textiles since cloth was one of the
specially prized artistic achievements.
The Aztec civilization has also made
substantial contributions to science and technology
and to the society as a whole. Some of their
contributions are the following:
• Mandatory education. Their children are
mandated to get education regardless of
their social class, gender, or age. It is an
early form of universal or inclusive education.
• Chocolates. The Aztec in Mexico developed
chocolate during their time. The Aztec valued
the cacao beans highly and made them as
part of their tribute to their gods.
• Antispasmodic medication. They used a
type of antispasmodic medication that could
prevent muscle spasms and relax muscles,
which could help during surgery.
• Chinampa. It is a form of Aztec technology
for agricultural farming in which the land was
divided into rectangular areas and
surrounded by canals.
• Aztec calendar. This enabled them to plan
their activities, rituals, and planting season.
• Invention of the canoe. A light narrow boat
used for traveling in water systems.
Development of Science in Asia
INDIA
The Indians creatively developed various ideas
and technologies useful in their everyday lives.
• Their iron steel is considered to be the best
and held with high regard in the whole of
Roman Empire.
• Ayurveda, a system of traditional medicine
that originated in ancient India before 2500
BC, is still practiced as a form of alternative
medicine.
• They discovered some medicinal properties
of plants that led them to develop medicines
to cure various illnesses.
• The Susruta Samhita describes different
surgical and other medical procedures
famous in Ancient India.
 • They developed theories on the
configuration of the universe, the spherical
self-supporting Earth, and the year of 360
days with 12 equal parts of 30 days each.
• The people of this civilization, according to
Bisht (1982), tried to standardize
measurement of length to a high degree of
accuracy and designed a ruler, the
Mohenjodaro ruler.
• Indian astronomer and mathematician
Aryabhata (476–550), in his Aryabhatiya,
introduced a number of trigonometric
functions, tables, and techniques, as well as
algorithms of algebra.
• Another Indian, Brahmagupta, also
suggested that gravity was a force of
attraction, and lucidly explained the use of
zero as both a placeholder and a decimal
digit.
• Another Indian named Madhava of
Sangamagrama is also considered as the
founder of mathematical analysis (Joseph,
1991).
CHINA
It is one of the ancient civilizations with
substantial contributions in many areas of life like
medicine, astronomy, science, mathematics, arts,
philosophy, and music, among others.
• Known for traditional medicines, a product of
centuries of experiences and discovery of the
Chinese people
• Discovered various medical properties and
uses of different plants and animals to cure
human illness; an example is the practice of
acupuncture
• Among the famous discoveries and
inventions of the Chinese civilizations were
compass, papermaking, gunpowder, and
printing tools.
• They also invented other tools like iron
plough, wheelbarrow, and propeller, among
others.
• They developed a design of different models
of bridges (Zhongguo ke xue yuan, 1983),
invented the first seismological detector, and
developed a dry dock facility (Needham et
al., 1971).
• Made significant records on supernovas,
lunar and solar eclipses, and comets, which
were carefully recorded and preserved to
understand better the heavenly bodies and
their effects to our world (Mayall, 1939)
• They observed the heavenly bodies to
understand weather changes and seasons
that may affect their daily activities. They
used lunar calendars.
THE MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES
The Middle East Countries. With the spread of
Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries, a period of Muslim
scholarship, or what is called the Golden Age of
Islam lasted until the 13th century.
• Muslim scientists placed greatervalue on
science experiments rather than plain-
thought experiments.
• A Muslim scientist named Ibn al-Haytham is
also regarded as the Father of Optics,
especially for his empirical proof of the
intromission theory of light.
• Mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-
Khwarizmi gave his name to the concept of
the algorithm while the term algebra is
derived from al-jabr.
• Muslim mathematicians did make several
refinements to the number system, such as
the introduction of decimal point notation.
• Some scholars considered Jābir ibn Hayyān
to be the “Father of Chemistry” (Derewenda,
2007; Warren, 2005).
• Ibn Sina pioneered the science of
experimental medicine and was the first
physician to conduct clinical trials (Jacquart,
2008).
• Ibn Sina two most notable works in medicine,
the Book of Healing and The Canon of
Medicine, were used as standard medicinal
texts in both the Muslim world and in Europe
during the 17th century.
Development of Science in Africa
Africa is blessed with natural and mineral
resources. Science also emerged in this part of the
planet long before the Europeans colonized it.
• Astronomy was also famous in the African
region. Documents show that Africans used
three types of calendars: lunar, solar, and
stellar, or a combination of the three.
• North Africa and the Nile Valley imported
iron technology from the Near East region
that enabled them to benefit from the
 developments during the Bronze Age until
the Iron Age.
• Mathematics was also known to be
prominent in the life of early people in the
African continent.
• The Lebombo Bone, which may have been a
tool for multiplication, division, and simple
mathematical calculation or a six month lunar
calendar, is considered to be the oldest
known mathematical artifact dated from
35,000 BCE.
• The Islamic regions in Africa during the
medieval period was also benefiting from
mathematical learning, which is considered
advanced during those times, such as
algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.

Ancient Egyptian Civilization

The ancient Egyptian civilization has
contributed immensely and made significant
advances in the fields of astronomy, mathematics,
and medicine. For example:
• They are good in the four fundamental
mathematical operations and other
mathematical skills. They have knowledge of
the basic concepts of algebra and geometry.
• The rules of geometry were developed and
used to build rectilinear structures, the post
of lintel architecture of Egypt.
• The great structures of the Egyptian
pyramids and the early dams built to divert
water from the Nile River are some proofs of
their advanced civilization.
• Egypt was known to be a center of alchemy,
which is known as the medieval forerunner of
chemistry.
• They tried to study human anatomy and
pharmacology, and applied important
components such as examination, diagnosis,
treatment, and prognosis for the treatment of
diseases.
 MESOPOTAMIA
Craddles of Civilization
Geographic areaIn modern day country of Iraq. The
name means “land between 2 rivers”
• 2 Rivers- Tigris River and Euphrates River
Mesopotamia
The constant water supply from the 2 rivers
provided rich farm land ideal for growing crops. The
rivers flooded each spring, the early people in the
area built levees to keep the flood waters back and
built irrigation systems.
• Area was first settled about 4500-4000 B.C.
• These people were originally farmers,
herders, and fishermen.
• They made tools, bricks, clay figures, and
pottery.
Sumer
• The people who lived there were called
Sumerians
• The first known civilization around 3500 B.C.
• The Sumerian people made wagon wheels,
used copper and bronze, made sail boats,
used plows, wrote laws, and studied
astronomy.
• Important city states developed
• Built strong walled cities for protection from
outside invaders
• Important Sumerian cityUr (capital of Sumer)
had a population of around 200,000
• Most cities were unattractive- no public
services available to remove garbage and
sewage. This was left to pile up on the
streets.
Sumerian Cities
• Streets were narrow, unpaved, winding
• Houses were one story mud brick structures
with flat roofs.
• Members of the upper class had 2 story
houses with many rooms that included
sleeping quarters and servants quarters and
burial plots below the house
• Household utensils made out of stone,
copper and bronze
• Merchants supplied the townspeople with
material items
Religion
• Sumerians constructed shrines or temples
called Ziggurats.
• Ziggurats were to serve as a pedestal for the
gods to descend to Earth.
• On top was a shrine room where people
would pray or hope to entertain a divine
visitor.
• Public was not invited to engage in temple
rituals, but they needed to constantly pray or
the gods would not bless their lands.
• Around the ziggurat were courts where
artisans worked, children went to school, and
people traded and stored goods there.
• Sumerians believed that all of nature was
controlled by gods
Education
• The Sumerian schools were called “tablet
houses” and were used to educate scribes
for various religious, governmental, and
commercial jobs.
• Schools at first were mostly religious and
were for rich children
• Male only
• Classes went from morning until sunset
• Curriculum included- grammar, penmanship,
science, and math
Writing
• Writing helped man maintain a complex
economic and political society
• Sumerian writing dates back as early as
3100 B.C.
• Dried Mud tablets with a sharp pointed reed
called a stylus was how they wrote the
cuneiform.
• This writing was adopted by their conquerors
and used for about 2000 years.
Family Life
• Woman had rights in Sumerian society
• They could buy and sell property and could
run businesses
• The husband was the head of the household
• He could divorce his wife or rent out his wife
and children for up to three years
• Children were expected to support their
parents when they became old
Priests and Kings • During Hammurabi’s rule, Babylon became a
• Priests were also the kings of the city-states trade center
• Gilgamesh was the most famous • Hammurabi’s reign is known as the Golden
• Received advice from an assembly of free Age of Babylon
men
• During wars, the assembly chose a military Ticket Out the Door
leader to serve until the war was over • How is Hammurabi’s code similar to the laws
• Eventually, these leaders stayed in charge in the United States?
and became kings.
• Kingship became hereditary Section 3: Inventions and Contributions
• Inventions and customs of the Sumerians
and Babylonians were copied and improved
Ticket out the Door upon by other cultures.
• Oldest written records in the world
• First written laws
• Cuneiform was a model for other people’s
system of writing
• Invented the wheel which aided
transportation
• Invented the plow which allowed farmers to
grow more food
• Invented the sailboat which replaced muscle
power with wind power
• Wheel
• Developed a 12 month calendar based on
Section 2: Later Mesopotamian Empires the cycles of the moon
• It marked the times for religious festivals and
Sargon 1 planting
• Ruled an area called Akkad • Contributions to math
• Began to conquer city-states one by one and • Developed a number system based on 60
became king of all of them • 60 minute hour
• Created world’s first empire • 60 second minute
• Ruled for 50 years • 360 degree circle
• Clock that was controlled by water
Hammurabi of Babylon
• Hammurabi was king of Babylon who
conquered Akkad and Sumer
• The Babylonians took on the language and
religion of the people they
conquered
• Hammurabi improved irrigation systems and
changed the religion
• Developed his own set of laws called the
Code of Hammurabi

Hammurabi
• Appointed judges to carry out the code
• Judges were punished if not honest
• He believed people were innocent until
proven guilty
 SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
Main Ideas
• In the mid-1500s, scientists began to
question accepted beliefs and make new
theories based on experimentation.
• Such questioning led to the development of
the scientific method still in use today.
Introduction
• 1300-1600 = a time of great change in
Europe.
• The Renaissance inspired a curiosity in
many fields.
• Scholars began to question ideas.
• The Reformation prompted scholars to
challenge accepted ways to think about God.
• While the Reformation was taking place,
another revolution in European thought had
begun.
The term 'renaissance' is derived from the
French word meaning 'rebirth'. It is used to describe
this phase of European history because many of the
changes experienced between the 14th and 16th
centuries were inspired by a revival of the classical
art and intellect of Ancient Greece and Rome.
The Roots of Modern Science
Before 1500, scholars decided what was true or
false by referring to:
• Ancient Greek or Roman authors
• The Bible
A few Europeans challenged the scientific ideas of
ancient scholars or the church by carefully
observing nature for themselves.
The Medieval View
• The Earth was:
o immovable
o the center of the universe.
• Everything revolved around the Earth.
► This view is known as geocentric
theory.
► Aristotle’s idea
► Ptolemy expanded the theory.
► Christianity taught that God
had deliberately placed the
earth at the center.
A New Way of Thinking: The Scientific
Revolution
• Mid-1500s, a few scholars published works
that challenged old ideas.
• New theories replaced old assumptions.
• Launched a change in European thought
known as the Scientific Revolution.
• The Scientific Revolution was a change in
study.
Scientific Revolution
• It is the period of enlightenment when the
developments in the fields of mathematics,
physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry
transformed the views of society about
nature.
• The ideas generated during this period
enabled the people to reflect, rethink, and
reexamine their beliefs and their way of life;
• It led to the creation of new research fields in
science and prompted the establishment of a
strong foundation for modern science.
Causes of the Scientific Revolution
• Printing press spread new ideas
• Age of Exploration fueled a great deal of
scientific research because of technology
needed for navigation
European Exploration
• New land/new discoveries
• Scientific research
>> Navigation
• New discoveries & observations did not
match ancient beliefs.
• Opened Europeans to the possibility that
there were more truths to be found.
A Revolutionary Model of the Universe
• A small group of scholars began to question
geocentric theory
Some Intellectuals and their Revolutionary Ideas
The Heliocentric Theory
Nicolaus Copernicus
• Sun was center of the universe
• Planets & stars revolved around the sun.
• Known as the heliocentric theory
• He outlined two kinds of planetary motion:
o the orbits of Venus and Mercury lay inside
the orbit of the Earth, thus, closer to the Sun;
and
o the orbits of Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter lay
outside the Earth’s orbit, thus, farther from
the Sun. From this model, he would work on
the length of time it will take for each planet
to orbit once around the Sun.
Heliocentric Theory (cont.)
• Problems:
o Did not explain why
o Went against religious views
• Did not publish his book until right before he
died.
o Why?
Galileo Galilei
• He built a telescope and became the first
man to use this tool to study the moon and
planets. What he saw made Galileo believe
Copernicus's idea that the Earth was not the
center of the universe.
• The Church punished him for his belief in this
idea. He was questioned by the Inquisition
and forced to confess that his ideas were
wrong.
• What if the church was wrong about the earth
being the center of the universe?
• What might people do?
• Galileo had to stand trial before the court.
• To escape torture, he “confessed” that the
ideas of Copernicus were false.
• He was never again a free man – house
arrest
• 1992, Catholic Church admitted Galileo had
been right!
• Galileo was an Italian mathematics teacher,
astronomer and physicist, and one of the first
true scientists. He used an experiment to test
one of Aristotle’s theories.
Aristotle’s theory:
Heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones
Galileo’s Experiment:
Finds objects of different weights will fall at the
same speed (in a vacuum).
The Scientific Method
Scientific Method – a logical procedure for gathering
and testing ideas.
Observation > Question > Hypothesis >
Experimentation > Conclusion
Johannes Kepler
• Expanded on Copernicus’ ideas
• Proved that planets revolved around the sun
elliptically
Charles Darwin
• Famous for his theory of evolution
• He published his book The Origin of Species
in 1589. His book presented evidence on
how species evolved over time and
presented traits and adaptation that
differentiate species.
• In his book The Descent of Man, he
introduced the idea of all organic life,
including human beings, under the realm of
evolutionary thinking.
• His unorthodox way of pursuing science
gave more value to evidence-based science.
It is a science marked by observation and
experiment.
Sigmond Freud
• Famous figure in the field of psychology
• Made a significant contribution through the
development of an important observational
 method known as the method of
psychoanalysis
• His method was unorthodox—focusing on
human sexuality and the evil nature of man.

Rene Descartes
• “I think, therefore, I am.”
• Believed everything should be doubted until
proven by reason.
• Modern scientific methods are based on
Descartes & Bacon.

Isaac Newton Explains the Law of Gravity

• Believed all physical objects were affected
equally by the same forces.
• According to his law of universal gravitation,
every object in the universe attracts every
other object.
• Degree of attraction depends on the mass &
distance between them.

The Scientific Revolution Spreads

• Astronomers were busy exploring the secrets
of the universe.
• Other scientists began to study the secrets of
nature on earth.

Scientific Instruments
• Microscope - Janssen
• Barometer - Torricelli
• Thermometer – Fahrenheit
o Fahrenheit/Celsius - Scales

Questioning Continues
• People began to focus on human conditions,
instead of just science.
o Rights & liberties of citizens
o Challenged the relationship between
government & its people
o Eventually changed the political
landscape in many societies.

By: Kate Cute charot