HIS-3464 : History of Science
Document Summary
Prescience, greeks, and romans (1)what early people knew (what we would call mathematics/astronomy/ medicine), how they knew it what they used it for and how they passed it on: Driving force in early science was survival, curiosity, and religion; early science grew from mesopotamia and egypt. Prehistoric people developed technologies to obtain necessities for life. Oral tradition was used to pass on what seemed to be important knowledge until writing is invented. Egyptians wrote on papyrus in building the pyramids (inclined surface) Mesopotamians developed the sexagesimal number system, which was used in algebra and astronomy. Egyptians used surgical tools for treatment of wounds, fractures, or dislocations and had pharmacology (ritual traditions) Believed disease was caused by an evil spirit in the body. Mesopotamians did similar healings and also thought disease was spiritual or due to sin, carelessness or sorcery. Mesopotamians were first real observers of heavens and calculated the path of venus, passed on by tablets.
