Science Is History
Posted by drdavescience on April 10, 2008
History classes have been a source of great life lessons for me. Apparently, ancient civilizations hold the key for understanding our modern society and the future.
“Ancient civilizations hold the key for understanding our modern society and the future?” – at least that’s what my teachers told me.
My problem with History classes is that I dislike memorizing details. Do you know the exact dates for the rise and fall of the Roman Empire? These were the types of details I had to memorize just so I could answer one or two questions on a test. I have a general idea when important historical events occur, and who was involved, but I never understood how memorizing an exact date or year could help me. Why wouldn’t I just look up that kind of stuff on Google or in a book?
I preferred to learn history in terms of how its ancient ideas impact our everyday lives. Did you know that a 2000 years old civilization formed the foundation of the U.S. government? Now that is pretty cool.
The ancient Romans developed a unique system for laws and government. Although it was not perfect, most nations of the world have based their government on an upgraded version of the ancient Roman system.
Below is a map of the Roman Empire:
They covered a lot of territory, didn’t they? That’s some empire.
Science – A Window into the Past
Believe it or not, science is also a lesson in history. Everything you learn is about stuff that someone figured out in the past.
Scientists don’t concern their work on rules that govern civilizations, but they do want to know about the rules that govern nature. Does this sound familiar? In the past, as scientists gained knowledge, it improved our technology and the conditions of life. One year, a person was doing manual labor, and the next year, they were able to buy a machine to do it.
We live in the world of the Internet, iPods, LCD TVs and hybrid cars. It is easy to lose sight of the impact of science, because we are immersed in it. Can you imagine a world where none of these things existed?
Early civilizations that had no knowledge of science regarded the Moon as a god. In 3000 years, scientists gained enough knowledge to send a man named Neil Armstrong to walk on its surface.
In the 1950s, sailors who crossed the oceans used the stars and math to navigate their ship to their destination in an accurate way, just like their seafaring ancestors did 500 years ago. We have GPS today, which makes finding your way on land, sea and air to be a no-brainer.
Can you imagine what it would have been like without it?
Does anyone know what the picture below is? You may have seen one before with sailors or travelers in a history book. It is called a “sextant.” Navigators used this tool to take measurements of the stars. Think of it as an ancient GPS!
It took awhile to use a sextant to figure out where you are, but it worked. Imagine having one of these on the dashboard in your car.
Why Science?
We learn science to understand the natural world and rules that govern it. Through science we learn the process of problem solving – a logical method of trial and error. We also learn lessons from the past that have already been solved.
Don’t Give Up
I enjoy history, literature, music and sport, but I do not give them up just because I am not devoting my life to it. I learn to appreciate all these things. All I ask that science be given a fair chance like Shakespeare, Football, and Napoleon.
As the Spanish philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
The same applies to science.
Humans have accumulated a tremendous amount of knowledge and it is up to future generations to add to it.
By the way, my teachers were right; art, history, literature, science and sport teach valuable lessons that makes life interesting.
It is never to late to show your appreciation through learning.
-Dr. Dave
