Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science — from the Babylonians to the Maya

Dick Teresi9780684837185, 0684837188

Lost Discoveries, Dick Teresi’s innovative history of science, explores the unheralded scientific breakthroughs from peoples of the ancient world – Babylonians, Egyptians, Indians, Africans, New World and Oceanic tribes, among others – and the non-European medieval world. They left an enormous heritage in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, cosmology, physics, geology, chemistry, and technology.The mathematical foundation of Western science is a gift from the Indians, Chinese, Arabs, Babylonians, and Maya. The ancient Egyptians developed the concept of the lowest common denominator, and they developed a fraction table that modern scholars estimate required 28,000 calculations to compile. The Babylonians developed the first written math and used a place-value number system. Our numerals, 0 through 9, were invented in ancient India; the Indians also boasted geometry, trigonometry, and a kind of calculus.

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Copyright page……Page 8
Board of Advisers……Page 9
Contents……Page 11
1 A History of Science: Rediscovered……Page 15
2 Mathematics: The Language of Science……Page 35
Egypt……Page 52
Mesopotamia……Page 61
India……Page 73
China……Page 80
The Arab World……Page 84
Mesoamerica……Page 89
Zero……Page 93
3 Astronomy: Sky Watchers and More……Page 103
The New World……Page 107
Oceania……Page 125
The Old World……Page 128
Mesopotamia……Page 129
Egypt……Page 137
India……Page 143
Islam……Page 150
China……Page 160
4 Cosmology: That Old-Time Religion……Page 171
Mesopotamia……Page 184
India……Page 188
Oceania……Page 192
Mayan Mesoamerica……Page 197
5 Physics: Particles, Voids, and Fields……Page 207
China……Page 214
India……Page 224
The Middle East: Persia……Page 232
Islam……Page 235
6 Geology: Stories of Earth Itself……Page 245
Ancient World: The Middle East, Western Asia……Page 246
Ancient World: Egypt and Africa……Page 249
India-Sumeria……Page 251
Ancient China……Page 253
The Middle East……Page 261
Medieval India and China……Page 269
Medieval Africa……Page 272
North American Indians……Page 273
Central America……Page 276
South America: the Inca Empire (A.D. 1100–1530)……Page 282
Pacific Islanders……Page 286
Australian Aborigines and New Guinea……Page 290
7 Chemistry: Alchemy and Beyond……Page 293
Egypt……Page 302
West Africa……Page 308
The Middle East……Page 314
Islam……Page 317
India……Page 323
China……Page 324
South America……Page 328
Mesoamerica: the Maya and Aztecs……Page 334
8 Technology: Machines as a Measure of Man……Page 339
Mesopotamia……Page 341
Mesoamerica……Page 349
Africa……Page 361
India……Page 364
China……Page 369
1 A History of Science: Rediscovered……Page 383
2 Mathematics: The Language of Science……Page 384
3 Astronomy: Sky Watchers and More……Page 396
4 Cosmology: That Old-Time Religion……Page 404
5 Physics: Particles, Voids, and Fields……Page 408
6 Geology: Stories of Earth Itself……Page 415
7 Chemistry: Alchemy and Beyond……Page 423
8 Technology: Machines as a Measure of Man……Page 430
Selected Bibliography……Page 435
2 Mathematics: The Language of Science……Page 436
3 Astronomy: Sky Watchers and More……Page 437
4 Cosmology: That Old-Time Religion……Page 438
5 Physics: Particles, Voids, and Fields……Page 439
6 Geology: Stories of Earth Itself……Page 441
7 Chemistry: Alchemy and Beyond……Page 442
8 Technology: Machines as a Measure of Man……Page 443
Acknowledgments……Page 445
A……Page 447
B……Page 449
C……Page 450
D……Page 452
F……Page 453
G……Page 454
H……Page 455
J……Page 456
L……Page 457
M……Page 458
N……Page 460
P……Page 461
Q……Page 462
S……Page 463
T……Page 465
W……Page 466
Z……Page 467