Ancient Greek Science and Astronomy - 2201 Words

The Ancient Greek culture has had such an impact on the world that no matter where you look you re sure to find something Greek about it. Out of all the areas that the Greek culture is famous for there are two that tend to exert themselves into our own culture even today. That would be their Science and Astronomy fields. If one were to look up in a library books about ancient Greek science and astronomy they would have a mountain of books to sift through. There seem to be so many individuals who have contributed towards the great scientific and astronomic revelations that the list of names seems to go on and on. Many of the theories that were structured in the ancient Greek culture are still put to use today. The goal of†¦show more content†¦One example of Pythagoras s feelings of personality towards numbers was the number Ten (10). He insisted it was quot;the very bestquot; number because it contained the first four integers - one, two, three, and four [1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10]. When written in dot notation these numbers formed a perfect triangle. Taken directly from Thomas Heath who was a civil servant and also one of the leading world experts on the history of mathematics is a list of theorems attributed to Pythagoras and his followers: (i) The sum of the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles. Also the Pythagoreans knew the generalization, which states that a polygon with n sides has sum of interior angles 2n - 4 right angles and sum of exterior angles equal to four right angles. (ii) The theorem of Pythagoras - for a right-angled triangle the square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides. We should note here that to Pythagoras the square on the hypotenuse would certainly not be thought of as a number multiplied by itself, but rather as a geometrical square constructed on the side. To say that the sum of two squares is equal to a third square meant that the two squares could be cut up and reassembled to form a square identical to the third square. (iii) Constructing figures of a given area and geometrical algebra. For example they solved equations such as a (a - x) = x2 by geometrical means. (iv) TheShow MoreRelatedScientific and Mathematical Contributions of Ancient Greece, China, and India1112 Words   |  4 Pages Our advancements in science and mathematics are typically overlooked in todays society. We take the growth of these fields for granted, but we never really think about who developed these ideas, why they did this, or how it has affected where we are today. The truth is, we have inherited all of our scientific and mathematical skills and theories from ancient civilizations. Ancient Greece is often known for its strong advancements in philosophy. Ancient China is most well known for its inventionsRead MoreContributions of Greek Civilization to Western Civilization825 Words   |  4 PagesAlejandra Fraguada Ancient amp; Medieval Western Civilization Contributions of Greek Civilization to Western Civilization. Ancient Greeks made many influential contributions to western civilization such as in the areas of philosophy, art and architecture, math and science. These contributions, which are also the achievements of ancient Greece, include certain things in the areas of philosophy, art, architecture, math and science. 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Philosophy is about understanding the fundamental truths about ourselves, the world in which we live in, and our relationships to the world and amongst each other. It is the study of general problems connected with existence, values, language, and mind. Those who study philosophy (philosophers), engage in askingRead MoreGreek Contributions Essay1482 Words   |  6 PagesMajor Greek contributions include astronomy, optics, and acoustics, along with major advances in mathematics. Science in ancient Greece was based on logical thinking and mathema tics. The Greeks were very interested to know about the world, the heavens, and themselves. Greek geniuses were articulate thinkers. (Pg. 55, Society and Technological Change) The Greek philosophers were very much drawn to mathematics. They invented its generality, analyzed its premises, and made notable discoveriesRead MoreAncient Greek Astronomy Essay1538 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Greek Astronomy Since the first Egyptian farmers discovered the annual reappearance of Sirius just before dawn a few days before the yearly rising of the Nile, ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean have sought to explain the movements of the heavens as a sort of calendar to help guide them conduct earthly activities. Counting phases of the moon or observing the annual variations of day length could, after many years collection of observations, serve as vital indicators for plantingRead MoreA Comparison of Great Scientists in History Essay1063 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates was an Ancient Greek philosopher who lived from 469-399 B.C. Much of what he knew he learned from another famous Ancient Greek philosopher, Plato. Concerning logic and human behavior in general, â€Å"Socrates’ life was inspired by discussion and debate with both the young of Athens and the leading philosophers of his day† (Daintith, Vol. 9 93). He introduced methodical and ordered thinking. Socrates is q uoted as having said, â€Å"It seemed to me a superlative thing to know the explanation of