Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science - From the Babylonians to the Maya.DICK TERESI The idea that the greatest scientific discoveries are rooted in Western civilization Noun 1. Western civilization - the modern culture of western Europe and North America; "when Ghandi was asked what he thought of Western civilization he said he thought it would be a good idea" Western culture is so entrenched en·trench also in·trench v. en·trenched, en·trench·ing, en·trench·es v.tr. 1. To provide with a trench, especially for the purpose of fortifying or defending. 2. that contributions by other cultures are largely ignored. Teresi argues that Western science is what it is because it was built on the best ideas other cultures had to offer. He points out that the Chinese mathematician Liu Hui calculated a value for pi in 200 A.D. The Babylonians developed what is now called the Pythagorean theorem at least 1,500 years before Pythagoras was born. Such advances extend beyond math to medicine: The Chinese made antibiotics from soybean soybean, soya bean, or soy pea, leguminous plant (Glycine max, G. soja, or Soja max) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family), native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Asia, where it has been curd curd the proteinaceous part of milk precipitated by rennin. Usually contains some fat when whole milk is used. 2,500 years ago. Teresi elaborates on these achievements and many more as he gives ancient civilizations their due. S&S, 2002, 453 p., hardcover, $27.00. |
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