Scientific Revolution Throughout the History of Mankind

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical periods, inventors, and scientific breakthroughs from Lesson 1.4: Scientific Revolution Throughout the History of Mankind.

Human Revolution

The remarkable and sudden emergence of language, consciousness, and culture in Homo sapiens sapiens.

Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)

The early period of human history lasting from about $2.5\,\text{MYA}$ to around $8000\,\text{BC}$, characterized by nomadic hunter-gatherer bands, flint tool making, and the use of fire.

Flint

A hard, sedimentary crystalline form of the mineral quartz that Paleolithic people struck against rock to create sharp-edged cutting tools.

Paleo Diet

A caveman diet heavy on protein and low in carbohydrates, reflecting that two-thirds ($\frac{2}{3}$) of Paleolithic energy was derived from animal sources.

First Agricultural Revolution

The wide-scale transition during the Neolithic Period ($10,200\,\text{BC}$ to between $4500\,\text{BC}$ and $2000\,\text{BC}$) from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to agriculture and permanent settlement.

Neolithic Grinding Stone

A stone tool used during the Neolithic period to extract seeds from plants or to soften animal meat.

Cuneiform

The system of writing developed by the Sumerian Civilization ($4500\,\text{BC} \text{ to } 1900\,\text{BC}$).

Clepsydra

A water clock created during the Egyptian Civilization ($3100\,\text{BC} \text{ to } 332\,\text{BC}$).

Codex

Bound books introduced during the Roman Civilization ($753\,\text{BC} \text{ to } 476\,\text{AD}$).

Middle "Dark" Ages

The postclassical period in Western Europe starting with the fall of Rome in $476\,\text{AD}$ and ending in the $1400\text{s}$, marked by a lack of central government, plagues, religious wars, and limited educational access.

The Renaissance

A cultural movement spanning the $14\text{th}$ to $17\text{th}$ century that began in Italy and spread across Europe, acting as a bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history.

Eli Whitney

The inventor of the cotton gin, which dramatically increased productivity in removing seeds from cotton during the Industrial Revolution.

James Watt

The inventor who created the first truly reliable steam engine in $1775$, enabling locomotives and textile machinery.

John Roebuck

An Englishman who pioneered the large-scale production of sulphuric acid in $1746$.

Joseph Aspdin

A British bricklayer turned builder who patented the chemical process for making Portland cement in $1824$.

Joseph Foljambe

The creator of the Rotherham plough in $1730$, which was the first commercially successful iron plough.

Andrew Meikle

The inventor of the threshing machine in $1784$, displacing hand threshing with a flail.

Peter Durand

A British merchant who patented the tin can in $1810$ to revolutionize food preservation and transportation.

John Hall and Bryan Dorkin

The founders who opened the very first commercial canning factory in England in $1813$.

Jean Lenoir

The inventor of the internal combustion engine in $1858$.

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce

The pioneer who took the first photograph, beginning in $1814$.

Alexander Graham Bell

The inventor who created the telephone in $1876$.

Thomas Edison

The inventor of the phonograph in $1877$, allowing recorded music to be listened to anywhere.

Orville and Wilbur Wright

The brothers who created the first airplane in $1903$.

Anthropocene

The present geological era in which human activity has become the dominant influence on Earth's climate and environment.

Paul J. Crutzen

An atmospheric chemist who popularized the term "Anthropocene" in $2000$.

Wildcards

A term coined by Michio Kaku referring to the unanticipated and troubling dangers resulting from the misuse of science and technology.