Historical Antecedents in Science & Technology PDF

LESSON: Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology What is an “Intellectual Revolution”? What is an “Intellectual Revolution”? It is a period when paradigm shifts occur When scientific beliefs that have been widely embraced and accepted by people are challenged and op...

LESSON: Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology What is an “Intellectual Revolution”? What is an “Intellectual Revolution”? It is a period when paradigm shifts occur When scientific beliefs that have been widely embraced and accepted by people are challenged and opposed THE COPERNICAN REVOLUTION In the 6th century, Ptolemy introduced the geocentric model which described the absolute perception of the universe Claudius Ptolemy with the Earth as its center which was thought to be true by most of the people of that time. The Copernican Revolution Argued that the sun is the center of the universe  COPERNICAN REVOLUTION – refers to the 16th- century paradigm shift named after the Polish mathematician and astronomer, NICOLAUS COPERNICUS. He formulated the HELIOCENTRIC MODEL of the universe. This new belief (heliocentric) was that the Sun was the center of the universe instead of the Earth (geocentric).  Copernicus introduced the heliocentric model in a 40 page outline entitled Commentariolus. He Formalized his model in the publication of his treatise, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (The Revolution of Celestial Spheres) in 1543. In his model, Copernicus repositioned the Earth from the center of the Solar System and introduced the idea that the Earth rotates in its own axis. The idea that the Sun is at the center of the universe instead of the Earth proved to be unsettling to many when Copernicus first introduced his model.  The heliocentric model was met with huge resistance, primarily from the Church, accusing Copernicus of heresy. At that time, the idea that it was not the Earth, and by extension, not man that was at the center of all creation was unthinkable. The Copernican revolution marked a turning point in the study of cosmology and astronomy making it a truly important INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION. What is an “Intellectual Revolution”?  Support for the Copernican Model The shift from geocentric to heliocentric slowly happened through the contributions of different people: Tycho Brahe’s observations of the star in Cassiopeia Johannes Kepler’s observation that all planets move in elliptical orbits Galileo’s telescope and his observations about the phases of Venus Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Gravitation THE darwinian REVOLUTION  Known for ‘evolution by natural selection’ formulated in his book “On the Origin of Species” in 1859 The theory describes how organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable or behavioral traits The changes that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment can help it survive and have more offspring  The English naturalist, geologist and biologist, Charles Darwin, is credited for stirring another important intellectual revolution in the mid-19th century. His treatise on the science of evolution, On the Origin of Species, was published in 1859 and began a revolution that brought humanity to a new era of intellectual discovery. Darwin gathered evidence pointing to what is now known as natural selection, an evolutionary process by which organisms, including humans, inherit, develop and adapt traits that favoured survival and reproduction. These traits are manifested in offspring that are more fit and well-suited to the challenges of survival and reproduction. The Theory of Evolution Main Points: 1. All life on Earth is connected and related to each other 2. This diversity of life came about because of the modifications in populations that were driven by natural selection Natural Selection is often described as survival of the fittest, where fitness refers to the ability to survive and reproduce The place of the Darwinian Revolution in modern science cannot be underestimated. Through the Darwinian Revolution, the development of organisms and the origin of unique forms of life and humanity could be rationalized by a lawful system or an orderly process of change underpinned by the laws of nature. Freudian REVOLUTION Sigmund Freud’s books became the hallmark of psychoanalysis  REALITY PRINCIPLE MORALITY PRINCIPLE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE  FREUDIAN REVOLUTION Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud, is credited for stirring a 20th century intellectual revolution named after him, the Freudian Revolution. Psychoanalysis as a school of thought in psychology is at the center of this revolution. He developed psychoanalysis – a scientific method of understanding inner and unconscious conflicts embedded within one’s personality, springing from free associations, dreams, and fantasies of the individual. Psychoanalytic concepts include: psychosexual development, libido and ego. Scientists working on a biological approach in studying human behaviour criticized psychoanalysis for lack of vitality and bordering on being unscientific as a theory.  Particularly, the notion that all humans are destined to exhibit Oedipus and Elektra complexes (sexual desire towards the parent of the opposite sex and exclusion of the parent of the same sex) did not seem to be supported by empirical data. In the same vein, it appeared to critics that psychoanalysis then, was more an ideological stance than a scientific one. His revolution was credited for dominating psychotherapeutic practice in the early 20th century. Psychodynamic therapies that treat a myriad of psychological disorders still remain largely informed by Freud’s work on psychoanalysis.  information REVOLUTION Alan Turing’s machine introduced the idea that thinking and being conscious could be attributed to nonhuman entities FATHER OF THE MODERN COMPUTER Computer A machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically.  SUMERIAN CIVILIZATIONS Typewriter: Christopher Latham Sholes Telegraph: Samuel Morse (MORSE CODE) CUNEIFORM JOHANNES GUTENBERG MORSE CODE  NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET Spelling Alphabet, a set of words used instead of letters in oral communication (i.e. over the phone or military radio). Each word ("code word") stands for its initial letter (alphabetical "symbol"). CHINAMPA The use of Rubber is documented in the Mayan ball game called Juego de Pelota (or tlachtli or Pok- Ta-Pok) The Road to El Dorado The Road to El Dorado Still used in Guatemalan Highlands The book written by Taqi ad-Din Muhammad ibn Ma’ruf ash-Shami al-Asadi describes steam power and a blueprint for a six-piston pump