Summary
Highlights
Hank Green introduces the new Crash Course: History of Science series, expressing his long-standing desire to produce it and his fascination with how humanity has uncovered truths and developed technology, mitigating suffering while also creating new problems. He emphasizes the captivating nature of the scientific process itself and contrasts modern technological wonders with past knowledge.
The history of science is not a simple linear progression from ignorance to knowledge. Scientists today still encounter significant unknowns (e.g., quarks, dark matter, consciousness), and there isn't a universally agreed-upon ultimate 'Truth.' The concept of 'science' itself is not stable; it's a dynamic idea that has evolved over time.
Today, 'science' encompasses both our body of knowledge and the methods used to acquire it. Key practices include systematic observation, as exemplified by Darwin's work with barnacles, and experimentation, such as the Pisa tower experiment (attributed to Galileo, but likely performed by Stevin and de Groot). These methods must be reproducible by anyone, embodying the principle 'NULLIUS IN VERBA' - 'on no one’s word.'
The motto 'NULLIUS IN VERBA' is significant to the Royal Society, founded in 1660. This institution promoted experimental learning and peer-reviewed publications. Influenced by Francis Bacon, the Royal Society championed the idea that scientific claims should be tested and reproducible by anyone, profoundly impacting the history of science.
Early members of the Royal Society were not called 'scientists' but 'Natural Philosophers,' reflecting a broader approach to understanding the world. The term 'scientist' was coined much later, in the 1830s by William Whewell. Historically, these knowledge-makers were predominantly rich English men, highlighting the social and historical biases in science.
The history of systematic knowledge extends far beyond the Royal Society and includes diverse peoples and cultures. The series will explore various global knowledge systems, such as Greco-Latin-Jewish-Arabic medicine, Ayurvedic knowledge, traditional Chinese medicine, and Incan engineering. Each system had its own social norms for creating and sharing knowledge.
Past societies understood the world intelligently within their frameworks, even if their conclusions differ from modern science (e.g., the brain's function). The history of science reveals 'revolutionary' changes that reshaped entire disciplines, and the series will explore these through the lenses of philosophers like Thomas Kuhn and Michel Foucault, reminding us that our current understanding is also historical and evolving.
The course will focus on five enduring questions: 1) What is stuff? (from atoms to dark matter), 2) What is life? (definition, origin, interactions), 3) Where are we? (Earth's place in the cosmos), 4) When are we? (timeline of life and the universe), and 5) How can we agree on what we know? (validating knowledge and addressing skepticism).
Humans seek to describe and control the world through knowledge, which inherently provides power. The series aims to highlight how the values and ethics of scientists and engineers shape society, and conversely, how society shapes science and technology. Understanding this history is crucial for citizens to navigate future challenges, including ecological crises, by continuing to 'science' our way forward.