Historical Development of Science & Technology

Pre-Historic Period / Stone Age

 Stone tools have been the first recognized technology
 H. habilis and H. rudolfensis were associated with broken pebbles.
 H. ergaster and H. erectus created a single cutting edge that we call hand axes
(or bifaces) and scrapers or choppers.
 H. heidelbergensis, H. neanderthalensis, H.sapiens devised awls or needles as
well as burins (engraving tools).
 Mathematics & Astronomy were linked as tally marks or counters, as calendars,
and as records of the lunar cycle.

Ancient Period
 Mesopotamian Civilization
o Sumerian Civilization
 Communication: development of the first handwriting system known
as cuneiform.
 Architecture: built the City of Uruk using mud or clay from the river,
mixed with reeds, producing sun-baked bricks
o Babylonian Civilization
 Astronomy: knew the rule that lunar eclipses could only be possible
during new moons and lunar eclipses only during full moons.
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 Egyptian Civilization
 Architecture: known for the construction of pyramids
 Astronomy and Mathematics: helped them in constructing pyramids
 Communication: they contributed the use of paper or papyrus
 Ancient Chinese Civilization
 Astronomy and Mathematics: calculated the occurrence of eclipses
 Inventions: gunpowder, paper, woodblock printing, compass
 Greek Civilization
 Architecture: invented Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns. The
Parthenon is the famous example.
 Inventions: the major inventions are the alarm clock and water mill.
 Roman Civilization
 Architecture: made buildings such as basilica, monumental
aqueduct, amphitheater and granary building that are intricately
decorative.
 Mathematics: the Roman Numeral System
 Communication: the first newspaper in this civilization is the gazette
 Record Keeping: produced the first books or codex
Medieval Period / Middle age
 Intellectual activities focused on Christian faith
 Men were not inclined to investigate scientific matter (Dark Age)
 Inventions: heavy plough, spinning wheel, printing press

Modern Period
 Early Modern Period
 Renaissance
 It means “rebirth”.
 intellectuals who embraced new ideas and more inventions
 Scientific Revolution
 the emergence of modern science with developments in
mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology and chemistry.
 Age of Enlightenment
 was an intellectual movement developed mainly in France, Britain
and Germany which advocated freedom, democracy and reason as
the primary values of society.
 Mid Modern Period
 Industrial Revolution was crucial to this period.
 the source of power for industry and transport system was the
steam engine invented by Thomas Newcomen.
 Contemporary Period
 World War I and II: development on war technologies were evident
 Space Age: first man-made satellite; first landing on the surface of
Mars; first human in space

Famous scientists in the early modern period

Galileo Galilei – Father of Modern Astronomy and Modern Physics

 Albert Einstein – Father of Modern Science

Nicolaus Copernicus – Heliocentric Theory

Johannes Kepler – Laws of Planetary Motion

Sir Isaac Newton – Laws of Motion

Field of Medicine

Antoine Van Leeuwenhoek – microscope

 Santorio - thermometer

Louis Pasteur - pasteurization

Wilhelm Roentge - x-rays

Alexander Fleming - penicillin