• Question: Where did Science come from?

    Asked by nkjones to Amy, Karen, Sarah, Vijay, Will on 15 Jun 2012. This question was also asked by meg123, 1dlaura.
    • Photo: Karen Reed

      Karen Reed answered on 15 Jun 2012:

      Hiya NKjones – Great question – I think science has always been there. But when was it recpgnised as a subject? I don’t know.
      According to the scince history timeline (just googled to try and answer your question) Pottery was invented 8000BC and the wheel 3500BC – there’d have been some science in that but if it was recognised or not who knows?
      It also says the term chemistry was 1st used around 400AD – so definietly recognised by then.

      Hope that helps

    • Photo: Amy Birch

      Amy Birch answered on 15 Jun 2012:

      Hi nkjones!
      That’s an interesting question – it’s thought that science first started to develop in what is now called the Middle East, over 5500 years ago. For example, ancient Egyptians were very good at studying astronomy, medicine and mathematics.
      Modern science really began in 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. This is when the subjects that we still study now started to be developed (such as physics, astronomy, biology, chemistry and medicine). Some examples of famous scientists who lived around that time were Galileo, Isaac Newton and Copernicus, and they dramatically changed the way we view the world.

    • Photo: Sarah Martin

      Sarah Martin answered on 17 Jun 2012:

      Hi again nkjones!
      Science was there long before us. It appeared with the big bang! I guess it’s up to us do discover it now! In its simplest form we’ve been doing science since we lived in caves – working out what the seasons are, when full moon is, which berries are edible, how to preserve food, which materials make warm water proof clothes… Our scientific questions have changed a little lately, to things like how can we capture carbon dioxide and which plants contain things that cure cancer, but we are still doing the same thing, as methodically as possible. Will you be joining us?

Comments