NEW YORK, U.S., September 2, 2015 (Oswego): In a newly published book, physics professor Alok Kumar and his co-author seek to set the record straight on how Europe’s scientific revolution depended profoundly on ideas and innovations passed down from ancient cultures. “A History of Science in World Cultures: Voices of Knowledge,” published by Routledge, traces the origins of European scientific “discoveries,” demonstrating that many derived, at least in part, from much earlier work in China, India, Persia, Babylonia and others. Reviewers have applauded the work of Kumar and geoscientist Scott L. Montgomery.
Students need to know, the authors say, that Islamic cultures gave us such words as guitar, nadir, zenith, elixir and magazine; that the sine function and decimal-place notation came from ancient India; that the Sumerians observed a seven-day week; that Babylonians developed the 60-minute hour; that Meso-americans predicted solar eclipses and used vulcanized rubber. The new book cites hundreds more examples–from urban planning in the Indus Valley to dental surgery among the Mayans–to show that “cutting away these pre-modern roots leaves a damaged view, one that risks the provincial satisfaction of a colonialist eye.”
One important way Kumar thinks the book resonates with scholars and with average readers is the consistent notion that scientific thought and learning for thousands of years and in cultures the world over have sought to bring people closer to their religions’ Supreme Being. “All of these cultures used science and technology as tools to enhance their knowledge of the creation and the Creator,” he said.