THE ORIGIN OF SCIENCE: FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO TODAY - HISTORY - 2024

The origin of science is uncertain; It is not known exactly who was the first to start talking about science and to define the concept, but it is stated that its practice (the search for knowledge) began in Prehistory, in the Neolithic civilizations.

Science is as old as man. This is reflected in their early and constant attempt to respond to things, to understand why and how events of nature occur. It arises in Prehistory in response to the need to systematize the search for knowledge, because since then man has asked himself: why?

Thales of Miletus is considered the first scientist in history. Source: Published by Guillaume Rouille (1518? -1589)

The word "science" has its origin in the Latin word scientia, which means "knowledge." Science is also associated with definitions related to knowledge or erudition, even with the ability to do something or when you have a set of knowledge on any subject.

When did you start talking about science? It can be said that more than five thousand years ago, in 3000 a. C., with the man of Neardenthal and the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel.

From an early age, human beings have sought to improve their quality of life and answer the questions that arise daily; Today we call that process science.

Science and religion: shared motivation

Much has been said about science as a discipline that is opposed to religion and vice versa, although its origins could well be the same: the search for answers to situations in nature that man cannot explain.

While religion attributes this to a higher being who is called God, science tries to explain it from a more pragmatic point of view, based on the observation of nature and the consequent drawing of conclusions.

Faced with this diatribe, at the beginning of the Second World War, the German scientist Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 - who recognized himself as a man of faith, religious - gave this interesting answer to said questioning: “I do not doubt that God he created the world, my job is to understand or explain how he did it ”.

Stages of the origin of science

The origin of technology could be considered in Prehistory, although in that of science it has been established later.

Background in the Middle East

The civilizations that inhabited the Middle East in ancient times developed the first notions of science, since in addition to creating tools and instruments, they devised methods that allowed them a more optimal development.

Among these civilizations the Egyptian stands out, which devoted itself to studying fields as diverse as astronomy, mathematics and even some notions related to medicine. All these processes were supported by concrete methods that yielded expected results.

Thales of Miletus, the first scientist

Born in Miletus in 624 BC. C., the philosopher Thales of Mileto is considered by the western culture the first philosopher-scientific researcher specialized in the cosmos. He is recognized for being the first to promote scientific research in disciplines such as mathematics and astronomy.

Along with Anaximander and Anaximenes, he was the initiator of the Miletus school -also known as the Ionian school-, considered the oldest philosophical school in Greece and the first naturalistic school. These characters strove to resolve the relationship that existed between matter and the phenomena of nature.

For them, nature was a matter in constant movement and development; they claimed that the world was not the work of the gods.

They are also recognized as the first to try to give a materialistic response to the emergence of real objects from air, water, or fire, and they guided attempts to discover laws in nature.

Alexandria

Image recovered from: scielo.org.ve

After the multiple conquests of Alexander the Great, the knowledge generated by the Greeks was spread to various places, which promoted a greater development of science.

At this time the Greek Archimedes stands out, who served as an astronomer, engineer, physicist, inventor and mathematician.

In addition to having built highly innovative and useful machines -such as the Archimedean screw, a tool that allows flour, water and other elements to rise-, this scientist enunciated the principles related to the lever, as well as to statics and hydrostatics.

Another prominent scientist of the golden age of Alexandria was Eratosthenes, geographer, astronomer and mathematician who is credited with the first measurement of the circumference and axis of planet Earth. The data obtained by Eratosthenes were quite accurate, which is why he is still considered a remarkable scientist today.

Middle Ages

After the fall of the Roman Empire, civilization experienced a kind of regression in the realm of science, because most of the material documented by Greek scientists was lost or destroyed.

However, during the twelfth century there was an awakening thanks to which the development of science was promoted, especially in the field of nature, seeking to explain its laws through reasoning.

The development of scientific procedures and methods had a boom, which was slowed down by the Black Death and its consequences in the region.

After this serious incident, Christian culture began to have more importance in the West, which led to a return to the theocentric vision of the world. For this reason it is considered that the High Middle Ages implied a delay in the development of science.

However, the eastern civilizations continued with their processes of scientific development, and at the end of the aforementioned period Europe began to adopt inventions that had been generated in the East, such as gunpowder or the compass, which undoubtedly were decisive for the course of the history.

The Renaissance and the printing press

Without doubt, one of the most important advances that promoted the growth of science was the creation of the modern printing press, an invention made by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450.

The most relevant implication of the printing press was the democratization of information, which helped ideas to spread more quickly.

Despite the fact that many Renaissance characters focused their attention on man and his questions, it is estimated that scientific advances at this time were important, especially in terms of how to read texts properly.

Several researchers agree that during this stage the so-called scientific revolution began to take place, a phenomenon that spanned the Modern Age.

Scientific revolution

During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, civilization witnessed the birth of the scientific revolution, a movement that created the structure for classical science that we know today.

Discoveries in areas such as physics, chemistry, biology and anatomy, among others, contributed to understanding the world from an empirical point of view, discarding many of the notions of medieval times.

XIX century

In the Contemporary Age, the most relevant step related to science was taken: the professionalization of the discipline. In this context, great discoveries continued to transform society.

Examples of this are the appearance of electromagnetism, thermodynamics, radioactivity and X-rays. The birth of genetics as a science, as well as the production of vaccines, also stands out.

Present

Science doesn't stop; it is challenged, questioned and never stops evolving, because man and nature, which are its main source of information, do not stop doing so either.

We have currently witnessed scientific advances of great importance, such as the area of ​​forensic genealogy, the generation of artificial embryos, the protection of the private sphere of citizens and the search for truly clean energy, without the presence of polluting agents.

All these findings confirm that science is a vital discipline for living beings, that it is constantly evolving and that it will continue to be very relevant for the development of human life.

References

1. Alcaraz, Miguel Angel. "The origin of science". (January 21, 2017) in La Opinion de Murcia. Retrieved on May 23, 2019 from La Opinión de Murcia: laopiniondemurcia.es
2. Santana, Ella. "How was science born?" (no date) in Nova Scientific Magazine. Retrieved on May 23, 2019 from Nova Scientific Magazine: revistanova.org
3. Coronado, Myriam. "Origins of science". (June 2012) at the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo. Retrieved on May 23, 2019 from the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo: uaeh.edu.mx
4. "What is science?" (November 17, 2017) in the Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved on May 23, 2019 from Australian Academy of Science: science.org.au
5. "Questions and answers on Albert Einstein" (no date) in The Nobel Prize. Retrieved on May 23, 2019 from The Nobel Prize: nobelprize.org
6. "These are the most revolutionary scientific advances of 2018" in El Comercio. Retrieved on May 23, 2019 from El Comercio: elcomercio.pe