The Complete History of Science

Scientific thought was rejuvenated in the 10th century as the Christians in the north came into contact with Islamic culture in Iberia.  Gerbert, a monk from Aurillac in Southern France played a key role in this process, introducing to Europe many innovations, such as the abacus,  the armillary sphere and new mathematics.  In doing so he revitalised teaching, particularly of the quadrivium and dem...

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, western Europe fractured into many small petty states.  A period of economic contraction coincided with a decline in learning and during the early medieval age Europe entered a nadir.  However, the church kept some form of ancient scientific thought alive and figures such as Isidore of Seville and the Venerable Bede worked to preserve this knowledge.   Suppo...

In the late 10th, early 11th century two great men debated the causes of natural phenomena.  One of them was the greatest philosopher of the age, Ibn Sina, who had refined Aristotle's philosophy into a finely honed system.  The other, al-Biruni,  was perhaps the greatest polymath of the age, who invented new fields of study and whose devotion to observation was unparalleled.  In a series of l...

While al-Haytham's visual theory was a clear triumph, his work also had a more subtle but profound effect.  His treatment of light as a quanitity which was related to but independent of vision was an important step on the path to our modern understanding of optics.  In this episode we explore the other parts of his 'Book of Optics' as well as the achievement of his forgotten contemp...

Tracing the emergence of medicine in the Islamic world and its embrace of Galen, this week's episode explores the progress made in treatments and anatomy by Islamic scientists.   Support the show Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/completehistoryofscience Contact: thecompletehistoryofscience@gmail.com BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/gethinrichards.bsky.social Music Credit: Folk Round Kevin...

The Greek Philosophers had long debated the nature of vision, without any definitive conclusion.  They were divided, between the belief that it was either a stimulus entering the eye or a visual ray projected from the eye.  This debate however, was finally settled by the great Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham, who developed the first modern theory of vision.  In this episode we explore Al-Haytham's optic...

Astronomy was king of the sciences in the ancient world, but since the death of Ptolemy progress had all but stalled.  Fortunately astronomy was rediscovered by the Arabs, who undertook a huge translation of Greek work into Arabic.  This next generation of astronomers venerated Ptolemy but also surpassed him, improving upon his measurements and theories.  This episode examines this rediscovery and...

After the death of Ptolemy and Galen the progress of science in the ancient world started to slow.  Roughly between the years 200-800 A.D. very little advances were made in most areas of science and there would be no successors to the great men.  Nevertheless the period was one of immense change including the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West and the rise of Christianity.      However, ther...

Galen was the greatest medical man in the ancient world.  His fame rested upon his abilities as a healer, but also his unparalleled knowledge of the human body.  This episode explores Galen's time in Rome where he demonstrated his impressive knowledge of anatomy which was unsurpassed in antiquity.  We also investigate Galen's predeccessors Aristotle, Praxagoras, Herophilus and Erasistrat...

In the 5th century B.C. a new form of medicine emerged in the ancient world.  This new 'Hippocratic' medicine emerged to sweep away traditional medicine, at least in learned circles, and would become the basis for the more scientific medicine which would develop in the future.  Along the way we will also explore the work of Galen, the greatest doctor of antiquity, and discover how his in...

Medicine is the most urgent of all the sciences and for as long as there have been disease, injury and death, humans have attempted to treat it.  In this episode we delve into the very early history of medince, going back to the Neolithic Era, before exploring medicne in the worlds first civilisations.   Support the show Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/completehistoryofscience Contact: thecompl...

Many Greek scientific fields were born out of simple questions.  Optics was one such field, which was not so much the study of light, but an attempt to answer the question, "How do we see?".  This episode takes in the development of Optics over the course of around 500 years from its inception to the work of Ptolemy in the 2nd century A.D.   Support the show Support the show: buymeacoffe...

Archimedes is a unique indiviudal in the history of science.  Unlike all of his ancient contemporaries, his scientific legacy is still largely intact and widely accepted in the modern era.  While many legends surround his life, we delve into his more solid scientific legacy and explore the impact and importance of his work.   Support the show Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/completehistoryofsci...

Ancient Greece was the birthplace of many scientific fields.  The men we have to thank for this are the Greek philosophers, who while not scientists in our sense, were frequently exploring scientific ideas.  The greatest of these 'scientific' philosophers was arguably Aristotle, whose interest in the natural world would, more than any other individual in antiquity, shape the development...

By the beginning of the 1st century A.D. the great age of astronomy in ancient Greece was coming to an end.  However, before it did, there was one last noteworthy figure, who would take ancient astronomy to its pinnacle.  Ptolemy wrote arguably the most important work of science in the ancient world.  Known as The Almagest, it would collect all early knowledge of astronomy into a single work, and...

In the second century B.C. Greek astronomy came of age.  While it had previously been closely connected with philosophy and mathematics, the increased use of observation pushed astronomy into the realm of science.  And the man most responsible for this was Hipparchus of Nicaea.   This episode delves into some of Hipparchus's achievments, as well as arguing that more than any other persons Hip...

We take for granted that science is quantitative.  But the early Greeks were primarily interested in philosophical argument rather than careful measurement.  This began to change in the 3rd century BC when two of the great figures in early science came on the scene.  Eratosthenes would measure the circumference of the Earth, while Aristarchus would be even more ambitious and would attempt to measu...

The Greeks were undoubtedly the most important culture in the development of early science.  This episodes investigates how Greek astronomy world grew out of their philosophical traditions and was succesful in being able to explain many astronomical phenomena.  Support the show Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/completehistoryofscience Contact: thecompletehistoryofscience@gmail.com BlueSky: https...

Arguably the first science, was the science of astronomy.  Beginning in the middle east I begin with a look at science in ancient Egypt, before moving onto their more sophisticated neighbours The Babylonians.  Along the way I discuss the astronomical discoveries of these early cultures and ask the question: Why did science start here? Support the show Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/completehis...