Science and Technology in the World

These flashcards cover the major historical periods, scientific milestones, and key figures defining the evolution of science and technology from ancient times to the modern era.

Three-Age System

A system introduced by Christian Jürgensen Thomsen in 1837 that classifies ancient ages based on tool developmental stages, specifically stone, bronze, and iron.

Stone Age

A prehistoric period spanning roughly 3.4 million years, ending between 8700 BCE and 2000 BCE, characterized by weapons and tools made of stone, wood, and bone.

Paleolithic Period

Known as the Old Stone Age, this is the longest phase of human history where humans were primarily food gatherers.

Acheulean Tools

Lower Paleolithic stone tools, such as handaxes and cleavers, used by hominin ancestors like Homo erectus.

Mousterian Tools

A Middle Paleolithic stone tool kit including purposefully prepared cores and specialized flake tools used by Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens.

Mesolithic Period

The Middle Stone Age, identified by the use of small chipped stone tools called microliths and the transition to semi-settled life.

Microliths

Small, refined chipped stone tools and retouched bladelets characteristic of the Mesolithic period.

Neolithic Period

The New Stone Age, defined by the introduction of agriculture, cereal cultivation, animal domestication, and polished stone tools.

Bronze Age

The first period in which metal was regularly used for tools, specifically copper and the alloy bronze.

Iron Age

The period following the Bronze Age where iron, which has a melting point of $1538\,^{\circ}\text{C}$, replaced bronze due to its superior strength and abundance.

Steel

An alloy of iron and carbon developed during the Iron Age to create stronger materials.

Dark Middle Age

The period from 450 to 1000 A.D., starting with the fall of the Roman Empire and often associated with a perceived lack of scientific progress.

High Middle Age

The period from 1000 to 1450 A.D. characterized by economic expansion, the growth of towns, and the establishment of the first universities.

Scientific Revolution

The period between Copernicus and Newton (1440-1690 AD) that transformed societal views of nature through mathematics, physics, and the experimental method.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

The Father of Microbiology who used microscopes to discover bacteria, which he described as animalcules.

William Harvey

The scientist who discovered that the heart acts like a pump to circulate blood throughout the body using valves and heartbeats.

Robert Boyle

The Father of Modern Chemistry who discovered the law regarding gas pressures and volumes.

Johannes Kepler

Tycho Brahe’s assistant who developed the Three Laws of Planetary Motion, proving that orbits are calculated mathematically and are elliptical.

Nicolaus Copernicus

The astronomer who first proved that the earth revolves around the sun, initiating the Copernican Revolution.

Francis Bacon

A philosopher who supported the empirical method and inductive reasoning, advocating for truths derived from concrete observations.

René Descartes

A mathematician and philosopher who promoted deductive reasoning and the scientific method, famously stating, "I think, therefore I am."

Newton’s Second Law of Motion

The physical principle stated as $\text{Force} = \text{mass} \times \text{acceleration}$.

The Enlightenment

Also known as the Age of Reason, this movement used scientific methods to understand and improve aspects of society and human nature.

Industrial Revolution

A period of complex technological inventions, such as the steam engine and power loom, that replaced human and animal labor with machine power.

Information Age

Also called the Digital Age, starting around the 1970s, it is characterized by an economy founded on computerized information.