Category Great Scientists

Galileo Galilei was a groundbreaking Italian astronomer, physicist, mathematician, philosopher and inventor. He opened the eyes of the world to a new way of thinking about how the solar system works.

       For many years, scientist had believed that the solar system revolved around the earth, and that the earth was the centre of the universe.

         Galileo was the first scientist to prove that this wasn’t correct. He stated that in fact, the solar system revolved around the sun.  he also invented an improved telescope so that he could gaze far into space. He was the first to see Jupiter’s moons, and the first to realize that our moon was covered with craters. Besides inventing the improved telescopes, he also invented the compass and a thermometer. Galileo has played a major role in the scientific revolution of the 17th century.

Euclid, who was born in Alexandria in Egypt, lived more than 300 years before Christ. He is renowned to this day for his book ‘Elements’.

      For centuries, this book was one of the main texts for teaching geometry. ‘Elements’ is divided into thirteen books, which cover plain geometry, arithmetic and number theory, irrational numbers, and solid geometry.

     His books begin with basic definitions, and then go on to prove different mathematical theories. So, it is only natural that Euclid is called the father of geometry. He stressed the importance of logic and reason in teaching and understanding maths. Though some of his books are lost, at least five of them are still in existence, and are proof of his remarkable gift for mathematics.

Aristotle was one of the most respected Greek thinkers. He was the star pupil of Plato, a famous Greek philosopher. He was also the teacher of Alexander the great!

     Aristotle wrote on many subjects including physics, biology, zoology, meta-physics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theatre, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, and government.

        He believed that the universe was eternal, that there was neither a beginning nor an end. Aristotle accepted that things can change, but fundamentally believed that the overall conditions would always remain the same. He studied zoology very closely, and through careful observation, he was able to arrive at his conclusions. His careful study of animals enabled him to classify them into different groups and species.

     Aristotle’s influence on western culture and science has been enormous. His writings show him to be a man of tremendous intellect, who thought deeply about the world.

Hippocrates, a Greek physician, lived in the 5th century BC, and founded the Hippocratic School of medicine. He revolutionized Greek medicine, for he believed in, and developed the practice of the clinical method of observation. This was the careful nothing of all the symptoms of a disease, and of the changes in a patient’s condition during the illness.

       Hippocrates believed that the body must be treated as a whole. He made medicine a discipline distinct from other fields, and his biggest contribution was that he rejected superstition and the belief that supernatural, or divine forces, were the cause of illness.

       In short, it was Hippocrates who transformed medicine into a science. He wrote on a variety of medical topics including diagnosis, epidemics, obstetrics, paediatrics, nutrition and surgery.

       To this day, newly qualified doctors take an oath called the Hippocratic Oath that lays down the basic rules of conduct that doctors must follow.

Pythagoras was an ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher who lived more than 500 years before Christ.

        He spent most of his life in the Greek colonies in Sicily and southern Italy. He was also a philosopher, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreans.

        Pythagoras had a group of disciples who followed him around, and taught other people what he had taught them. He made crucial contributions to modern philosophy, as well as mathematics, science, and religious mysticism. It is also believed that he had a significant influence on medicine, music, astronomy, and divination.

        Pythagoras is best known for the mathematical theory named after him. He is without doubt, one of the greatest scientists not only of the ancient world, but of all time.