Science and Technology in Pre- Colonial Asian Studies

April 13, 2011

Topics: Pre-Colonial Science and Technology in the Third World

Poverty and Triumphs of Chinese Science and Technology

Mechanical Engineering in the Medieval East

Preview:

Pre-colonial Asian Science and Technology in the Third World: Periods are Indus Civilization, Vedic and Post-Vedic and Indus Civilization. 

* agriculture based: dams, granaries, irrigation, products: wheat, barley, banana, peas, melons, cotton
*architecture- automatic layout, modern drainage & sewerage
*pottery-carving of steatite, originality, detail 

Pre-colonial science were tied closely to the ethnic environment in which they had arisen. This resulted to the restriction of possible contacts and transmissions in the realm of scientific ideas. Primarily because of the difficulty of finding a common basis of discourse for people of different cultures. 

The history of science and technology in China is both long and rich with many contributions to science and technology.

Among the earliest inventions were the abacus, the "shadow clock," and the first flying machines such as kites and Kongming lanterns. The four Great Inventions of ancient China: the compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing, were among the most important technological advances, only known in Europe by the end of the Middle Ages. The Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906) in particular, was a time of great innovation. A good deal of exchange occurred between Western and Chinese discoveries up to the Qing Dynasty. 

 

Science and technology in Middle East-- 

Following the rise of Islam in the seventh century C.E., science and technology flourished in the Islamic world to a far greater extent than they did in the West. Muslim rulers promoted the translation of Greek philosophy and science texts, and then encouraged further scientific exploration in numerous fields, among them mathematics, astronomy, medicine, pharmacology, optics, chemistry, botany, philosophy, and physics.

In mathematics, Muslim scholars introduced the use of zero, solutions to quadratic equations — even the Arabic word “algebra.”

 Medicine was one of the most important fields of endeavor. Muslim doctors were surgically removing cataracts and treating kidney and gallstones while Europeans were still using leeches on their patients.

source: wikipedia, http://www.crystalinks.com/chinascience.html

Narratives/ Things I learned

In the end of the discussion, I learned about the pre-colonial inventions and technology from China, India and Middle East.

Each places made a great technological advancement. From a simple invention to great variety useful inventions, marked the development of science and technology. In the third world, the focused of their inventions was more on the cultural and astronomical significance of it and  some of their known inventions are  calendar, atom etc.In the Chinese history, their focused was more on inventions that affects the trading system. They invented counting machines and medicines that conserved their lifestyle like acupuncture.China has 4 great inventions and these are: Compass,gunpowder, paper and printing. In the Medieval times, most of the inventions were focused on the significance of time. they invented different clocks and robot.

The group presented the topics through different activities that caught the attention of the class to attentively listen to the discussion.

Yes, indeed, the inventions of three colonial places added up to the advancement of science and technology in the world. Most of their inventions was very useful until now: like clocks and calendars that determines the significance of time and months.Their inventions was a great help to the lives of people.

" Technology and Society in the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age "

April 12, 2011

" Technology and Society in the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age "

Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards.  ~Aldous Huxley

Preview:
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years, during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera.Bone was used during this period as well, but finds of bone tools are rare compared to the millions of stone tools that have been collected from the surface or excavated. Bone is much softer than the two types of hard material used by early man: stone and metals. During the Stone Age, metalworking was entirely beyond human capability.

The Bronze Age is a period in a civilization's development when the most advanced metalworking consisted of techniques for smelting copper and tin from naturally occurring outcroppings of ore, and then alloying those metals in order to cast bronze.

The Bronze Age (c. 3300–2500 B.C.) represented an important advance in technology because people in the Middle East (present-day southwest Asia and northeast Africa) developed metallurgy, the science of separating metals from ores (minerals). That is, after digging ores they separated the metals, which they combined by melting. As they gradually learned to form metal into objects, they no longer had to rely on stones, bones, or wood for tools and weapons, which had previously been used during the New Stone Age (c.10,000–c. 3500 B.C.; Neolithic Period). The early Bronze Age (c. 3300–3500 B.C.) overlapped with the New Stone Age. During this period people made implements from pure copper, which tended to be brittle.

The Iron Age is the period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.In archaeology, the Iron Age is the stage in the development of any people where the use of iron implements as tools and weapons is prominent.
Source: Wikipedia



Narratives/ things I learned
  There are three Age Systems in the Ancient time Period. This composed of: Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. The three Ages was the starting point of the development of technology. In the first age, where simple tools was discovered and the tools were highly made up of different stones from caves. The Second age, the used of copper were highly identified through the present of weapons used for finding foods and protection.In the third age, the used of irons and metal was highlighted through the tools they're using by that time.
The group presented the topics very well. They prepared different activities that engaged the class to a fun- filled discussions. The result of my quizzes is a proof that I learned so much from the topics. Ive got the scores of : 7, 10, and 13.

Science, technology and Society from the Middle Ages to the Scientific Revolution

April 14, 2011

Topics: Science, Technology and Society in the Middle Ages

Technology in the Middle Ages

The Scientific Revolution

Preview:

Middle Ages ( Science, Technology and Society)

The plow is considered to be one of the most important (and oldest) technologies developed. In fact, the history of the plow stretches back to the Neolithic (New Stone) Age that began about 8000 BC in Mesopotamia. In the Middle Ages, however, the plow was radically improved and was used with multiple-oxen teams. This innovation facilitated the clearing of the forests of fertile northwest Europe (Gies & Gies, 1994). Before this time because of the nature of the soil, it was difficult to plow these fields. And, obviously, this inability to cultivate these fields reduced the population of northwest Europe. 

Clocks are a fairly recent invention; that is, the first clocks were created about 5000 to 6000 years ago  by the great civilizations in the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the most important developments in the Middle Ages was the experimentation and developments in iron production. In Europe by 900, there were significant changes in the production of iron. The above ground reduction furnace had been developed; this furnace allowed for the easier creation of iron. 

Scientific Revolution

  The scientific revolution did not happen all at once, nor did it begin at any set date. Realistically speaking, the scientific revolution that we associate with Galileo, Francis Bacon, and Isaac Newton, began much earlier. You can push the date back to the work of Nicolaus Copernicus at the beginning of the sixteenth century, or Leonardo da Vinci in the middle of the fifteenth. Even then, you haven't gone back far enough and you haven't included all the factors that contributed to the set of epistemological transformations that we call the scientific revolution.

three phases:

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence affected literature, philosophy, art, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art.

A religious war is a war caused by, or justified by, religious differences. It can involve one state with an established religion against another state with a different religion or a different sect within the same religion, or a religiously motivated group attempting to spread its faith by violence, or to suppress another group because of its religious beliefs or practices.

The Restoration of the monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The term Restoration may apply both to the actual event by which the monarchy was restored, and to the period immediately following the event.

Source: wikipedia

Narrative/ Things I learned

From the list of topics, I learned the effects of scientific revolution in the society. It was the period of changes. It changed the ideas of science in a greater aspect. It is said before, science were limited but the changes brought the qualitative inventions needed in science.The phases of scientific revolution was renaissance, wars of religion and restoration that greatly affect the society. During the renaissance,there was a freedom of religion and the people was more focused on money and business matter. In the phase of wars of religion, the contrasting ideas were highlighted from different sectors regarding religion. Also in this phase the invention of telescope and microscope happened. In regards with these invention, Harvey, studied the circulation of blood. In the Restoration phase, the triumph of Science was achieved. There was a establishment rapid commercials and scientific societies. During this phase, unity between scientific societies was highlighted.

Science, Technology, and Society in Ancient Times

Narratives/ things I learned
  There are three Age Systems in the Ancient time Period. This composed of: Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. The three Ages was the starting point of the development of technology. In the first age, where simple tools was discovered and the tools were highly made up of different stones from caves. The Second age, the used of copper were highly identified through the present of weapons used for finding foods and protection.In the third age, the used of irons and metal was highlighted through the tools they're using by that time.
The group presented the topics very well. They prepared different activities that engaged the class to a fun- filled discussions. The result of my quizzes is a proof that I learned so much from the topics. Ive got the scores of : 7, 10, and 13.

Source: Wikipedia