Crash Course: History of Science

Introduction

• Presenter: Hank Green
• Objective: Explore how humanity has discovered truths about the universe, leading to technological advancements and new problems.
• Focus: The process of scientific inquiry.

The Story of Science

• The modern world contains gadgets that were once science fiction.
• The narrative will cover diverse historical figures and places:
  • Philosophers: Aristotle
  • Innovations: Song Dynasty canal digging
  • Technological Development: Electrical war in NYC
  • Scientific Discoveries: DNA structure in Cold War England

Understanding Science

• Ignorance & Knowledge: We remain ignorant on ultimate truths, even basic questions like "what is stuff?"
• Science Definition: A body of knowledge and methods to create it (observation and experimentation)
  • Example: Darwin's observations of barnacles led to theories on evolution.
  • Experimentation: Galileo's alleged experiments with gravity.

NULLIUS IN VERBA

• Motto: "On no one's word" (Royal Society)
• Importance: Reproducibility in science is essential.
  • Established to share and debate new ideas and experiments (Philosophical Transactions journal)
  • Encourages skepticism and verification.

Historical Context

• Natural Philosophers: Pre-scientists like alchemists and doctors in the 17th century
• Evolution of the Term 'Scientist': Coined by William Whewell in the 1830s
• Diversity in Science: Historically limited to rich English men (e.g., Royal Society)

Broader Definition of Science

• Not just a Euroamerican narrative; includes diverse knowledge systems:
  • Examples: Greco-Latin-Jewish-Arabic medicine, Ayurvedic knowledge, and Incan engineering
• Objective: Study systems on their own terms to understand global science.

Philosophical Insights

• Revolutionary Changes: How incremental questions can lead to scientific revolutions
• Philosophers: Thomas Kuhn and Michel Foucault regarding knowledge construction

Unanswered Questions

• Five Big Questions:
  1. What is stuff? (Atoms, dark matter)
  2. What is Life? (Definition, origin)
  3. Where are we? (Earth's place in the cosmos)
  4. When are we? (History and future of the universe)
  5. How do we agree on what we know? (Consensus in science)

Science and Society

• Ethics and Values: How they shape and are shaped by science and technology
• Modern Challenges: Need for scientific solutions to ecological crises
• Importance of Historical Understanding: Helps inform future actions

Conclusion

• Next Episode: Exploration of ancient Greek natural philosophy with the Presocratics.
• Crash Course is supported by Patreon, encouraging community-supported educational content.