Who would have thought that this premature baby would become one of the World’s renowned and most influential people? This is due to his contributions in Mathematics, Physics, Theology and Philosophy? Sir Isaac Newton was born on January 4, 1643; however, December 25, 1642 is his recorded date of birth as the Gregorian calendar was not yet adopted. He was named after his father, a peasant who died three days before he was born. He lived with his mother, Hannah [...]

The greatest contribution of Democritus in astronomy is the atomic theory—the belief that everything in the world consists of particles called atoms. These atoms, Democritus believed, are indestructible, indivisible, and always in motion. They atoms are infinite in numbers, and come in different sizes and shapes. Explaining the nature of atoms was not difficult through Democritus’ logical reasoning. He affirmed that the strength of an object depends on the shape of the atoms the object has. For instance, iron atoms [...]

Plato, one of the most famous ancient philosophers, lived in Athens, Greece from 427 BC to 347 BC. He lends his name to the word “platonic,” however, Plato was probably not his real name, but was merely a nickname. “Plato” meant “broad,” possibly in allusion to his wide shoulders or forehead, or to the wide scope of learning he possessed. His real name may have been Aristocles, but this has not been officially ascertained.

Socrates is practically a household name. This ancient Greek thinker is well known not only in philosophical circles, but by every person who has gone to school. A kind of question-and-answer discourse has been named after him: the Socratic Method. This approach is used in philosophical discussions and in more general forms of idea exchange. It is also used as a way to look at the world, learn, and evaluate things. While Socrates left no writings of his own, much [...]

Pythagoras lived between 569-475 BC. He holds the distinction of being the first “pure mathematician.” It is unfortunate that no writings of Pythagoras have survived (although it is uncertain if he did ever write any), but he made very significant contributions in the development of mathematics. Pythagoras was a mathematician, but he was also equally into philosophy and religion. At one time, he did political work too, but he was not happy with it. He founded a school of philosophy, [...]

Hypatia is unique among many ancient scholars and philosophers, she was a woman. But her gender is not her sole claim to fame. She was a great teacher, scholar, mathematician, philosopher, scientist, and compiler and preserver of important scientific writings. Hypatia was born in 370 AD in the center of learning that was Alexandria, Egypt. Her father was Theon, a famous mathematician-philosopher. Undoubtedly, her learned father trained and taught her, and together, they later collaborated in writing certain commentaries to [...]

Aristotle is often touted as one of the founding fathers of science. Trained by the great philosopher Plato, Aristotle built a school he called the Lyceum at Athens. He delved into almost all dimensions of knowledge, including philosophy, science, art, literature, and of course astronomy. Based on his writings, Aristotle believed that the cosmos is round and finite. He believed that the cosmos is round in as much as it has a center, which is the earth. He also believed [...]

Thales lived around 580 BC in Miletus, Greece. Like many prominent Greek scholars, he was adept in not just one but many fields of knowledge. Thales was an accomplished mathematician, philosopher and physicist. In fact, he is often referred to as the “Father of Physics,” and he was one of the “Seven Sages,” Greece’s seven most acclaimed philosophers. Thales was also active in politics and education. But his main profession when he was alive was as an engineer. One of [...]