Ancient Civilizations: Mayan and Inca

Ancient Civilizations

• The Mayan Civilization was known for its complicated calendar system and was one of the first civilizations to have a paper-making technique and its own writing system, called Maya Hieroglyphics.
• The Inca Civilization was famous for its scientific ideas, paved roads, irrigation system, and quipu, a record system using knotted ropes.
• The Aztec Civilization was known for its mandatory education for all children, regardless of social class, gender, or age, and its chinampas, a way of farming in canals.

Indian and Indonesian Civilizations

• The Indian Civilization was known for its manufacturing of iron and metallurgical works, and its traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda, which includes the Susruta Samhita that describes different surgical and medical procedures.
• The Indonesian Civilization learned to construct Candis, religious structures with both Buddhist and Hindu heritage, from the 8th to 15th century.

Intellectual Revolution in Middle East and Africa

Ibn Al-Haytham

• Known as the "Father of Optics" due to his understanding of vision, optics, and light.

Jabir ibn Hayyan

• Known as the "Father of Chemistry" due to his early works in alchemy and metallurgy.

Ibn Sina

• Known for his works in medicine, especially in infectious diseases and pharmacology, and his books, "The Book of Healing" and "The Canon of Medicine", which were used as standard medicine texts in both the Muslim and some parts of Europe during the 17th century.

Al-Khwarizmi

• Introduced the concept of algorithms, coined "al-jabr" which means "return to original form", where algebra was rooted.

City of Alexandria

• An intellectual and scientific center during the Middle Ages.

Information Revolution

• Refers to changes in the social, economic, and political role of information.
• The generation and use of information have led to important developments in modern science.
• Affects all aspects of society, from individual lives to local and global economies and governments.

Language, Writing, and Printing

• Language is a unifying factor for humanity and differentiates humans from their evolutionary ancestors.
• Writing was important in the rise of civilizations, enabled the documentation of early events, and preserved information for future generations.
• Printing was significant to the rise of modern civilization, enabling the distribution of scientific, religious, and historical texts.

Computers, Storage, and Optical Communication

• Computers allow the processing and calculation of digital information.
• Storage devices enable the storing and sharing of information or data.
• Optical communication allows the establishment of communication networks and the internet.

Impact of Information Revolution

Politics and Government

• Increased government transparency, online campaigning, and automated elections.

Work Environment

• Enables telecommuting, allowing workers to work from home and have flexibility in their work schedule.

Impact on Society

Positive

• Made it easier for people to access information and communicate.

Negative

• Can lead to the spread of misinformation, which is dangerous for society.