The Medieval Period
When people think of the Medieval time period, thoughts of the dark ages appear. Many people think this because not many technological advances took place during these times, however the people who think this are greatly mistaken because many scientific breakthroughs did occur during the Medieval time period, including advancements in the fielRAB of both alchemy and optics. These achievements have come to be known as experimental science. Many of these achievements took place in the Middle East. Howard Turner, the author of Science in Medieval Islam, has helped to map out the changes and improvements in his writings.
Even Before the existence of the Islamic civilization the basis of alchemy had been set by ancient Chinese, Greek, and Indian Philosophers who had been practicing this art for centuries before (Turner 189). Alchemy corabines spiritual, craft, and scientific processes that date back to very ancient metal working and drug preparation (Turner 189). Alchemy is also the belief that all substances are made up solely of the four elements in different proportions. These four elements include fire, water, earth, and air. There exists a fifth element which is called the elixir, or “philosopher’s stone, alchemy’s long sought after prize. The elixir, or stone, was believed to have the power to transform ordinary metal into precious gold. Alchemists also believed that inorganic things were alive. These inorganic things possessed both spirit and matter values. Because of these beliefs alchemy became known as something strange, something like occult since. They referred alchemy to this because it dealt with properties of matter that could not be inferred by senses from humans. Alchemy became very interesting and popular due to the medieval interest in magic and the unknown. Practical chemistry was shunned upon by the general population until the end of the fourteenth century when the belief in magic began to subside, and the want of proof came into effect (Turner 190).
More than just these beliefs came out of Islamic alchemy, the processes of calculation, evaporation, distillation, crystallization, and filtration were neared perfection (Turner 191). These process were not learned and perfected over night, they were achieved by trial and error, or more well known as experimentation. These ancient process taught people the importance of experimentation when dealing with the unknown. Even though much of alchemy is based on spiritual belief and magic, the people involved in the modern science of chemistry can look back to medieval Islam and see where the foundation was set (Turner 193-194).
As with alchemy, many great discoveries were made in the field of optics. These discoveries made by the mathematics and physicians are arguably the most original and important discoveries in the history of the Islamic world (Turner 195).
The Islamic scientist’s access to a plethora of knowledge gathered by the Greek mathematician Euclid and Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy aided their work tremendously. Euclid and Ptolemy’s research was based on reflection, refraction, image projection, rainbows, and primitive ideas about the anatomy of the human eye (Turner 195). This helped lead Islamic physicians and mathematicians in the right direction. Much of the knowledge gathered from these early scientists is taught in school access the nation, as well as the world.
The Islamic physician Ibn alHaytham came up with an idea not far from what is understood today as the process of human vision. Haytham diagrammed how an object’s features enters through the pupil of the eye and proceeRAB to the brain, where finally the faculty of sense completes the process (Turner 198). Although his discoveries were not appreciated and future examined until the thirteenth century these discoveries, no doubt, had an extreme impact on how future research was conducted (Turner 197). When the discoveries by Haytham were further examined and appreciated in later times they greatly helped to create experimental science (Turner 198).
Thanks to works of medieval Islamic physicians, mathematicians, and alchemists, very primitive forms of experimental science were becoming visible. Possibly the greatest discoveries made thoughouth the entire medieval time period occurred in Islam in the field of optics (Turner 194). Even though most of the important discoveries were not appreciated and looked upon as references until centuries later, thanks to people like Haytham and the great Islamic alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan, science progressed greatly in an otherwise global technological stanRABtill (Turner 194). Although, these scientists, sometimes thought of as extremists by their peers, made us realize what an important role on modern science they played, as well as science in medieval Islam.
When people think of the Medieval time period, thoughts of the dark ages appear. Many people think this because not many technological advances took place during these times, however the people who think this are greatly mistaken because many scientific breakthroughs did occur during the Medieval time period, including advancements in the fielRAB of both alchemy and optics. These achievements have come to be known as experimental science. Many of these achievements took place in the Middle East. Howard Turner, the author of Science in Medieval Islam, has helped to map out the changes and improvements in his writings.
Even Before the existence of the Islamic civilization the basis of alchemy had been set by ancient Chinese, Greek, and Indian Philosophers who had been practicing this art for centuries before (Turner 189). Alchemy corabines spiritual, craft, and scientific processes that date back to very ancient metal working and drug preparation (Turner 189). Alchemy is also the belief that all substances are made up solely of the four elements in different proportions. These four elements include fire, water, earth, and air. There exists a fifth element which is called the elixir, or “philosopher’s stone, alchemy’s long sought after prize. The elixir, or stone, was believed to have the power to transform ordinary metal into precious gold. Alchemists also believed that inorganic things were alive. These inorganic things possessed both spirit and matter values. Because of these beliefs alchemy became known as something strange, something like occult since. They referred alchemy to this because it dealt with properties of matter that could not be inferred by senses from humans. Alchemy became very interesting and popular due to the medieval interest in magic and the unknown. Practical chemistry was shunned upon by the general population until the end of the fourteenth century when the belief in magic began to subside, and the want of proof came into effect (Turner 190).
More than just these beliefs came out of Islamic alchemy, the processes of calculation, evaporation, distillation, crystallization, and filtration were neared perfection (Turner 191). These process were not learned and perfected over night, they were achieved by trial and error, or more well known as experimentation. These ancient process taught people the importance of experimentation when dealing with the unknown. Even though much of alchemy is based on spiritual belief and magic, the people involved in the modern science of chemistry can look back to medieval Islam and see where the foundation was set (Turner 193-194).
As with alchemy, many great discoveries were made in the field of optics. These discoveries made by the mathematics and physicians are arguably the most original and important discoveries in the history of the Islamic world (Turner 195).
The Islamic scientist’s access to a plethora of knowledge gathered by the Greek mathematician Euclid and Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy aided their work tremendously. Euclid and Ptolemy’s research was based on reflection, refraction, image projection, rainbows, and primitive ideas about the anatomy of the human eye (Turner 195). This helped lead Islamic physicians and mathematicians in the right direction. Much of the knowledge gathered from these early scientists is taught in school access the nation, as well as the world.
The Islamic physician Ibn alHaytham came up with an idea not far from what is understood today as the process of human vision. Haytham diagrammed how an object’s features enters through the pupil of the eye and proceeRAB to the brain, where finally the faculty of sense completes the process (Turner 198). Although his discoveries were not appreciated and future examined until the thirteenth century these discoveries, no doubt, had an extreme impact on how future research was conducted (Turner 197). When the discoveries by Haytham were further examined and appreciated in later times they greatly helped to create experimental science (Turner 198).
Thanks to works of medieval Islamic physicians, mathematicians, and alchemists, very primitive forms of experimental science were becoming visible. Possibly the greatest discoveries made thoughouth the entire medieval time period occurred in Islam in the field of optics (Turner 194). Even though most of the important discoveries were not appreciated and looked upon as references until centuries later, thanks to people like Haytham and the great Islamic alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan, science progressed greatly in an otherwise global technological stanRABtill (Turner 194). Although, these scientists, sometimes thought of as extremists by their peers, made us realize what an important role on modern science they played, as well as science in medieval Islam.