How Greek Maths Changed the World - with Alan Davies
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- Professor Alan Davies presents a series of groundbreaking experiments pioneered by the Ancient Greeks. Often called the "birthplace of civilisation", Ancient Greece heralded numerous advances in philosophy, science, engineering and mathematics which have shaped our understanding of the modern world.
Assisted by Ri demo technician, Andy Marmery, Professor Davies demonstrates the key discoveries and experiments of many Greek thinkers -- from Thales and Pythagoras to Euclid, Archimedes and Hypatia of Alexandria.
This video was created as part of the Greek Legacy series of events, generously supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (www.snf.org).
The conference for sixth form students, held on Friday 6th March 2014, was a day of interaction and discovery - from exploring the astrolabe and the steam engine to exclaiming "Eureka!" and asking "How did they do that?". Alongside Professor Davies' demonstrations, talks were presented on Euclid and Hypatia. The audience discovered how the Greek Philosophers established the foundation of modern mathematics through the concept of proof, and students from Imperial College presented Greeks: The Musical!
Plus, there was the first ever public-screening of the Ri animation, The Greek Legacy.
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How Greek Maths Changed the World Find out how the Ancient Greeks changed the world... Fab demo lecture with Prof Alan Davies and Andy Marmery. Many thanks to the the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for supporting our Greek Legacy event for Sixth-form students.
Im doing a maths/physics workshop tomorrow at Herts Uni. Its called the maths of juggling, will we be doing any juggling and how hard is the maths, because im really not that great ...
Δῶς μοι πᾶ στῶ καὶ τὰν γᾶν κινάσω (Give me a place to stand in and I'll move the earth)...
Nice lecture. Amazing how much of our geometry was discovered and utilized many, many centuries ago.
Well, geo-metry is about Earth measure, and farmers have been wanting to measure their bit of Earth for quite a while now... Maybe not so amazing, after all?
The knocking over the cuddly toy with a pendulum trick only works if the cuddly toy is vertically below the point of suspension of the pendulum. If not an elliptical path can be found that will hit it on the way back. And why did he say circle?
I love that this lecture ends with my tombstone. How macabre!
If the library of Alexandria had not been destroyed, we would have known much more and many questions would have been answered.
Excellent presentation
My only thought is that Archimedes' death ray didn't need to burn wood or even fry eggs, it would have been enough to damage the retina of the solders on the ship. For that to happen all they would need is about 5 times the solar energy on a sunny day to instantly blind them. So in that light I would say folklore could easily embellish the record of the event to call it a death ray. Certainly blind soldiers wouldn't have been much good.
Military contract researcher exaggerates the value of his technical breakthrough? Nuthin' new here.
Death ray: I thought about it long. Worked out the power (energy per second) needed & found that it is far fetched. It is the "sense of proportion" that he didn't take into account. He needed to have a million very highly polished shields. BTW, this set me thinking about the 'number system' they used. What was the number system they used? Simple ratio & proportion suffices to explain & demonstrate empirical Physics, then. Real progress made after the European dark ages was possible based on calculations & was impossible to experiment. However the Greeks were the first to show the way in Physics & engineering. His Buoyancy notion was a result of 'Gravity' that is the underlying basis. Yet it remained empirical for want of knowledge of Gravity, that needed a Newton to unravel a thousand years later. Death ray has been finally realised by now (following on their clue) with Laser beams instead of sunlight (only with judiciously employing "sense of proportion" that translates to engineering design). Greeks weren't aware of "lens" too, with which school kids now, routinely burn holes in apiece of paper.
the weight of the earth in my gravitational field is my weight in its gravitational field
+jeanlouevil32 Thank you Newton's 3rd law!
Incorrect -- but that's not altogether your fault: it's a fake question. The weights of both are determined by their mutual attraction in the field of both: 60 or 80 kilos for you, 5.972 × 10^21 tonnes for Earth.
If you vanish the field of either one, both weights will be zero in that imaginary situation.
I had no idea Jonathan Creek was also a professor of Greek history. How does he find time between QI and As Yet Untitled?
Thanks professor
Thanks Doc))) Interesting !!!
...and this is Archimedes' death ray.
You might like to try it when you get home.
Ok, I've already made it 30 seconds into the video but now I have to ask: is this talk worth enduring 40 more minutes of Comic Sans?
Definitely
Antikythera mechanism!
and Al Jay forever!)
But most of the math we use today numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division most algebra are of indian origin.
No. Not at all. All that existed in other civilizations as well.
@@DipayanPyne94 yes but other cultures had different methods. For an instance addition of two numbers greater than 1000 in Roman numbers would take two big pages. Same with Greek numbers....no number system had multiplication or division. Mostly geometric methods were used
What are you talking about ? Arithmetic existed in Ancient Greece. It was thriving there. Tables go back to Pythagoras. And you think no system existed for multiplication or division ? Oh dear. The Ancient Greeks covered just about everything. Read about it.
@@DipayanPyne94 arithmetic was done by Greeks in Greek numbers. Greek number system was additional and had no positional value. Also Greek number system did not have a zero. Greek number system was able to do addition in a very difficult manner. Multiplication was very difficult. Division was extremely difficult. If arithmetic based on Greek number system was easy, there was no reason for the Euripeans and the rest of the world to adopt the Indian number system.
@@DipayanPyne94 here I will give a quote from Leonardo of Pisa or Fibonaci in Liber Abasi. He called the method he learnt modus indorum meaning method of the Indians. That's our arithmetic today. Here is the quote from Liber Abaci. "As my father was a public official away from our homeland in the Bugia customshouse established for the Pisan merchants who frequently gathered there, he had me in my youth brought to him, looking to find for me a useful and comfortable future; there he wanted me to be in the study of mathematics and to be taught for some days. There from a marvelous instruction in the art of the nine Indian figures, the introduction and knowledge of the art pleased me so much above all else, and I learnt from them, whoever was learned in it, from nearby Egypt, Syria, Greece, Sicily and Provence, and their various methods, to which locations of business I travelled considerably afterwards for much study, and I learnt from the assembled disputations. But this, on the whole, the algorithm and even the Pythagorean arcs, I still reckoned almost an error compared to the Indian method. Therefore strictly embracing the Indian method, and attentive to the study of it, from mine own sense adding some, and some more still from the subtle Euclidean geometric art, applying the sum that I was able to perceive to this book, I worked to put it together in xv distinct chapters, showing certain proof for almost everything that I put in, so that further, this method perfected above the rest, this science is instructed to the eager, and to the Italian people above all others, who up to now are found without a minimum. If, by chance, something less or more proper or necessary I omitted, your indulgence for me is entreated, as there is no one who is without fault, and in all things is altogether circumspect.The nine Indian figures are:9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1With these nine figures, and with the sign 0 which the Arabs call zephir any number whatsoever is written...[7]
11:20 This man does not understand the cosmology term the observable universe. The edge of the observable universe is 46 billion light years away.
Was that Comic Sans? These scientists are so hip, or maybe just clueless :)
Ciprian Danea a comic sans is the font of hip? What world are you living in?
I disagree with his statement about the Greeks only being able to generate enough heat to fry eggs. The sunlight reflecting off that building is not focused to a point. Most likely the light is concentrated but not focused. Anyone who has used a magnifying glass to ignite wood can attest to the fact that it does not take a large area lens, or mirror to ignite wood. Archimedes problem would have been getting the shields shiny enough to reflect sufficient light and more importantly getting the light focused.
And that, Wayne, is why his statement was correct, the Greeks could only fry eggs, and the only person you're disagreeing with is yourself, oh Star of RUclips.
@@TheDavidlloydjones No his statement is wrong, there would not be enough heat to fry eggs.
Normally i would ignore people like you who feel the need to call people names, but I realize you cannot help it, your constant trolling on Twitter has conditioned you to making snide remarks.
One further point, if you want to know why I am sure i am correct and he is wrong and to find out why I rarely engage people like you, read my about page. To put it succinctly, if you cannot make your point without insults don't bother communicating with me.
20:52 wow, I'm in love! She is so cute!
Quick maths
It was not during the Roman empire!
According to Aristotle, they learned from ancient Africans
greece lost its strong mathamatical culture and has utmost no significant contributions to modern science like they haven't won any Field medal,abel prize and fundamental physics prize (ironically field medal has picture of a greek man Archimedes)
whereas India and china have still maintains their mathamatical culture. Especially India has strong foundational contributions to statistics with English men while chinese like shing tao has contributions to higher mathamatics just like indian mathamaticians ramanujan and harischandra.
You do know that India and China are literally 100x-150x bigger than the modern Greek population each, right? Greeks are like a small part Europe, and yes they still do contribute. Greek names are popping up in research papers all the time.
As far as "big shots" are concerned, there is Constantin Carathéodory.
"Constantin Carathéodory, (born September 13, 1873, Berlin, Germany-died February 2, 1950, Munich), German mathematician of Greek origin who made important contributions to the theory of real functions, to the calculus of variations, and to the theory of point-set measure." - Encyclopaedia Britannica
First
baby
If they so good at math .. than how come Europe had to bail them out ?
Too many "uhms" and "ahs".
Greek maths were not greek
Yes they were. That's why they were what they were. We get a lot of our arithmetic from India, and algebra from the Arabs, but the conic section(s) and the very great value of Euclid come to us from the Greeks.
American Science then gave us the sparky-sparky Hollywood Tesla coil and the Tesla electric power transmission system of New Jersey.
@@TheDavidlloydjones greece lost its strong mathamatical culture and has utmost no significant contributions to modern science like they haven't won any Field medal,abel prize and fundamental physics prize (ironically field medal has picture of a greek man Archimedes)
whereas India and china have still maintains their mathamatical culture. Especially India has strong foundational contributions to statistics with English men while chinese like shing tao has contributions to higher mathamatics just like indian mathamaticians ramanujan and harischandra.
16:16 this guy racist or somethibg xD omg
He is not clever enough to know he is not being funny.
15:15 The young man clearly starts on time, look at his hand movement.
I stopped watching after his comment.
You mean how Greeks stole math concepts from Africans, Babylonians, and Indians. The idea that you can "assume" and create logical arguments is not originally greek either. You are in error and greek maths are only organized African concepts.
Ws Banker if what you say is true then why, after nearly two millennia of mathematical knowledge the Egyptians and Babylonians could not think abstractly in mathematical terms? Why did this explosion of insight occur in a span of only two centuries once Thales emerges? I think you are confused between what you think is referred to as origin and founding. Geometry in Egypt is exactly what the etymology of the word suggest; the measuring of land. It emerged there as a practical means to reassess land after the Nile flooded. Ropes with knots were used to make said measurements. The Egyptians were amazing at logistics not logic. The Babylonians, another historical people, were also adept at logistics, and record keeping. Perhaps they can be described as the forerunners of modern accounting. But the pattern recognition involved in combining and utilizing accounting and logistics to formulate abstract maths had to wait for the Greeks. Thus, nothing was stolen from anyone. It was an ingenious people, the Greeks, that recognized what was of value from an other ancient race and transformed it. This transformation transcended the original. Not to mention that the Greek language was a major cognitive upgrade compared to Egyptian hieroglyphs. You didn’t need to be an Egyptian priest in order to ‘think’. Thinking was the first thing to be democratized by the Greeks. That’s why you have individuals not afraid to attach their name to a treatise without fear of a despot beheading them as they did in your version of Africa.
name an African, Babylonian or Indian mathematician earlier than Thales
@Razor Skidrow Both were later than Thales, especially Pingala. Neither provides any proof for what they wrote. The no evidence about Euclid I'll take it as joke and ruins whatever credibility you may have. Clearly you're ignorant
@@Soulias1 lol, you give Greeks way too much accolades. North Africans in Sudan also get overlooked in this trite discussion.
@@Charlii931603
My Dinka daughter agrees with you in principle I'm sure, and both Stavrissimo and Banker are fruitcake nuts: you can't "steal" concepts. They're free and they move energetically by themselves.
How is it called Greek mathematics, and the greeks never built an institution? The egyptians built a massive geometric pyramid, before there was a such thing as s people called greek.
GuyRBrewer109 read some books by John Burnet to find out why.
Even though the pyramids are magnificent believe me you don't need to be a great mathematician to build one.A you need is practicle method.you can draw a pyramid using other methods .But the Greeks took maths to a different level.
The Greeks never build an institution??? Where do you think universities come from? The pyramids where tombs you know.... And yes the Egyptians were a great culture before the Greeks and before everyone for that matter and they deserve respect. But you need to know that Greeks were actually pretty close (pyramids estimated 2500 BC, Cycladian culture (first prominent Greek culture) about 1700 BC. And they surpassed them by miles in the 5th century BC. Again, Egyptians where the bomb, not for the pyramids, an engineer feat of course, but for the invention of hieroglyphics.
@@konstantinosmas3950 1st off. The Greeks did not have ANY institutions. Your fooled by the name, Alexandria, and it's famous library that wasn't Greek. The Hagias Sophia is the first institution of Caucasian people (Built by Africans, 537AD) There is no Greek culture dating back to 1700BC and surely they never build a pyramid anywhere in Europe or Asia Minor (so-called). Also, there is no Greek alphabet. One of the Egyptians alphabets was applied to the Greek language (Rosetta stone) Written language cannot be invented twice. Somebody invented it and somebody copied. To easy to prove, but 'ill give you too good reasons for this: The whole of Europe believed the world was flat in 1492. Therefore, that dispels any Greek science or mathematics before hand (Which came to Europe from the moors). The 25,000 year calendar and the Earth being 25,000 miles in circumference along with the accuracy of the Pyramid's construction (Center of the Earth circle) which rivals modern day laser accuracy and the precise placement of 2 - 150 ton stones (Which cannot be done today with 2020 tech) Proves beyond any doubt that there is any Greek science or mathematics of note in the ancient world. Especially when we see the lie of the Pythagorean formula on the rhind papyrus (paper) dating 1750BC. You cannot establish NO ancient colure that advance and at that time. Euclid Geometry was also, obviously a rip off from the Egyptians also. Paper was not something the Greeks dealt with. I should not have to say how phony the "Babylonian Tablets" Who would carve everyday records in stone, when paper is known to be in the world?
@@GuyRBrewer109
I'll see you and raise you The Parthenon and every city named "Alexandria" out to the Himalayas -- modulo only the fact that the Macedonians hate being thought of as part of Greek culture.
The Socratic dialogue is a Greek institution alive and well everywhere today, doncha think?