Greeks to African Intellectual Revolution Midterm Review

Comprehensive practice flashcards reviewing history, science, mathematics, and technological innovations from Ancient Greece through the Meso-American, Asian, and African Intellectual Revolutions.

Which ancient Greek mathematicians are credited with early contributions to geometry and the concept of mathematical proofs?

Pythagoras, Euclid, and Archimedes.

According to the provided concept map diagram, what four key inventions are attributed to Heron of Alexandria?

Automatic doors, crossbows, steam engine, and vending macine.

Who was most likely the first to possess an alarm clock, and what played its sound?

Plato was most likely the first to possess an alarm clock, which played on the sound of a water organ.

How did Ctesibius's version of the alarm clock produce sound?

Balls were dropped on a metal plate to produce sound.

Who was the first person to create maps with longitude and latitude?

Anaximander.

Which two figures created maps of the entire known world at their time?

Eratosthenes and Strabo.

Who constructed the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria in 300 BC, and how tall was it?

Sostratus of Cnidus constructed it, and it stood at $400$\,ft.

What discovery did Philo of Byzantium make that laid the foundation for modern thermometers?

He discovered that air expanded when heated.

Who was dubbed the "Father of City Planning" for designing Miletus?

Hippodamus.

What is considered the first recorded criticism of urban planning?

Aristotle's critique and ridicule of Hippodamus.

What were anchors referred to as in Hellenic poetry, and what were they initially made of?

They were referred to as "teeth" and first consisted of sacks of stones before being made of large shaped stones.

What type of projectiles did ancient Greek catapults shoot?

Arrow-shaped projectiles.

What four ingredients comprised the ancient Greek version of cement?

Limestone, clay, water, and sand.

How did ancient Greek central heating work during cold seasons?

Slaves lit fires in the basement to heat air, which traveled up into rooms through pipes.

What was the ancient clock tower known as, and what was inside it?

It was called the Ancient Tower of Winds, and it contained a water clock connected to eight external sundials.

Why was the crane invented in ancient Greece, and what physical evidence proves its use?

It was invented to lift heavy stone blocks onto emerging temple walls, evidenced by holes drilled into the stones.

Where was an ancient Greek spiral staircase found, and what is its distinction?

It was found on the A-Temple of Selinunte, Italy.

How was a man carrying an umbrella viewed in ancient Greek culture?

It was considered a mark of effeminacy.

What was the ancient Greek water mill formally called, and who designed its mechanism?

It was formally known as the Perachora Wheel, and its mechanism was designed by Philo of Byzantium.

How many miles of paved roads were constructed across the Roman Empire?

Over $50,000$\,miles.

What were the two types of Roman newspapers and their respective subjects?

Acta Diurna (for daily affairs) and Acta Senatus (for senate proceedings).

What Roman artifact serves as evidence of ancient nano-engineering?

The Lycurgus Cup, which changes color under UV light due to the arrangement of nano-sized particles of gold and silver.

What three ingredients were combined in ancient China to create gunpowder?

Charcoal, sulfureaew, and potassium nitrate.

Who was the teacher of Thomas Aquinas during the Medieval Ages?

Albertus Magnus.

Which medieval author wrote on geology, chemistry, botany, and zoology, studied optics, and explained rainbows and tides?

Roger Bacon.

Who invented the printing press during the Medieval Ages to publish books faster?

Johann Gutenberg.

Who developed the first compound microscope?

Zacharias Janssen.

Why was chainmail developed as war armor during the Medieval Ages?

Full iron body armor was found to be impractical, so chainmail was invented for more mobility during close quarters combat.

Who proposed geocentrism, and who later introduced heliocentrism in his book "On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres"?

Claudius Ptolemy proposed geocentrism, and Nicolaus Copernicus introduced heliocentrism.

Who co-proposed the theory of evolution alongside Charles Darwin?

Alfred Russell Wallace.

According to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis, what three elements make up personality, and what principles do they run on?

Id (pleasure principle), Ego (reality principle), and Superego (morality principle).

What specific malware event is referenced as an example of why policy makers needed to establish cyber laws?

The I LOVE YOU virus.

What were the two Mayan calendars, their length in days, and their respective uses?

Tzolkin ($260$\,days, used for religious and ceremonial events) and Haab ($365$\,days, used for planting and harvesting season).

In what year did Goodyear patent rubber, long after the Mayans first created rubber products?

In $1844$.

On what number base was the Mayan mathematical system structured, and why?

Numeral $20$, based on the total number of fingers and toes humans have.

What was Quipu in the Inca civilization?

A record keeping system using knotted ropes that only experts could interpret.

What was Chinampa in Aztec agricultural practice?

A rectangular farming system surrounded by canals.

What were the medical functions of Aztec antispasmodic medication?

It prevented muscle spasms and relaxed muscles for surgery.

Which ancient Indian medical systems/texts parallel the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus and Edwin Smith Papyrus?

Ayurveda parallels the Ebers Papyrus, and Susruta Samhita parallels the Edwin Smith Papyrus.

What tool was developed in the Indus Valley Civilization at Mohenjodaro for standardized measurement?

The Mohenjodaro ruler.

What text was written by the Indian astronomer Aryabhata?

Aryabhatiya.

What physical force did Brahmagupta suggest, and how did he explain zero?

He suggested gravity as a force of attraction and explained zero as a place holder and decimal digit.

Who was known as "Geber" in the West and dubbed the "Father of Chemistry"?

Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan.

Which two medical texts written by Ibn Sina became standard texts in medicine in the Muslim world and Europe during the 17th century?

The Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine.

Which two Egyptian mathematical papyri allowed calculations involving the four basic arithmetic operations, fractions, and formulas for frustums?

The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus and the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus.

How did ancient Egyptians determine True North using astronomy?

They observed the position of two stars in the Big Dipper, referred to as "the thigh".

What specific astronomical event occurring in August 1583 was recorded in the Timbuktu Manuscripts?

A meteor shower.

What is the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere?

The Southern African Large Telescope.