The Complete History of Science

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Al Haytham's Theory of Vision Jan 14, 2023

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The Greek Philosophers had long debated the nature of vision, without any definitive conclusion. They were divided, between the belief that it was either a stimulus entering the eye or a visual ray projected from the eye. This debate however, was finally settled by the great Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham, who developed the first modern theory of vision. In this episode we explore Al-Haytham's optical work as one of the first great experimentalists who investigated the nature of light and his development of a new theory of perspective.

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The Sun Sets in the West and Rises in the East Dec 02, 2022

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Astronomy was king of the sciences in the ancient world, but since the death of Ptolemy progress had all but stalled. Fortunately astronomy was rediscovered by the Arabs, who undertook a huge translation of Greek work into Arabic. This next generation of astronomers venerated Ptolemy but also surpassed him, improving upon his measurements and theories. This episode examines this rediscovery and follows the broad developments in the Islamic world between the 9th and 11th century.

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The Scientific Dark Ages Nov 13, 2022

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After the death of Ptolemy and Galen the progress of science in the ancient world started to slow. Roughly between the years 200-800 A.D. very little advances were made in most areas of science and there would be no successors to the great men. Nevertheless the period was one of immense change including the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West and the rise of Christianity.
However, there was at least one important figure in the history of science during this era. John Philoponus (c. 490 – c. 570) gave the most robust and important critique of Aristotle's natural philophy since the philosophers death. His theories of motion would mark a great development on Aristotle paving the way for the more advanced theories which appear in the middle ages.

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Galen and the Anatomists Oct 17, 2022

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Galen was the greatest medical man in the ancient world. His fame rested upon his abilities as a healer, but also his unparalleled knowledge of the human body. This episode explores Galen's time in Rome where he demonstrated his impressive knowledge of anatomy which was unsurpassed in antiquity. We also investigate Galen's predeccessors Aristotle, Praxagoras, Herophilus and Erasistratus who between them invented the fields of anatomy and physiology.
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The Triumph of Hippocratic Medicine Jun 16, 2022

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In the 5th century B.C. a new form of medicine emerged in the ancient world. This new 'Hippocratic' medicine emerged to sweep away traditional medicine, at least in learned circles, and would become the basis for the more scientific medicine which would develop in the future. Along the way we will also explore the work of Galen, the greatest doctor of antiquity, and discover how his influence would ensure the triumph of Hippocratic medicine.

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The Origins of Medicine Jun 09, 2022

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Medicine is the most urgent of all the sciences and for as long as there have been disease, injury and death, humans have attempted to treat it. In this episode we delve into the very early history of medince, going back to the Neolithic Era, before exploring medicne in the worlds first civilisations.

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The Origins and Development of Optics Jun 02, 2022

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Many Greek scientific fields were born out of simple questions. Optics was one such field, which was not so much the study of light, but an attempt to answer the question, "How do we see?". This episode takes in the development of Optics over the course of around 500 years from its inception to the work of Ptolemy in the 2nd century A.D.

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Archimedes May 26, 2022

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Archimedes is a unique indiviudal in the history of science. Unlike all of his ancient contemporaries, his scientific legacy is still largely intact and widely accepted in the modern era. While many legends surround his life, we delve into his more solid scientific legacy and explore the impact and importance of his work.

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Aristotle: The Philosopher as Scientist May 19, 2022

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Ancient Greece was the birthplace of many scientific fields. The men we have to thank for this are the Greek philosophers, who while not scientists in our sense, were frequently exploring scientific ideas. The greatest of these 'scientific' philosophers was arguably Aristotle, whose interest in the natural world would, more than any other individual in antiquity, shape the development of scientific thought. While we now know most of his ideas were false, this episode sets out to defend his legacy and place it in the context of the scientific work which would for the next millenia develop under his influence. In this episode we explore Aristotle's contribution in many fields including his theory of matter, theory of motion and his zoology.

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Ptolemy and The Almagest Jan 26, 2022

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By the beginning of the 1st century A.D. the great age of astronomy in ancient Greece was coming to an end. However, before it did, there was one last noteworthy figure, who would take ancient astronomy to its pinnacle. Ptolemy wrote arguably the most important work of science in the ancient world. Known as The Almagest, it would collect all early knowledge of astronomy into a single work, and set the course of science for the next 1000 year.

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