science

Science in History

Science in History is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Science in History rather than just read about it. In short: Science in History is a four-volume book by scientist and historian John Desmond Bernal, published in 1954. It was the first comprehensive attempt to analyse the reciprocal relations of science and society throughout history.

Key takeaways

Science in History belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Science in History to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Science in History from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Science in History is a four-volume book by scientist and historian John Desmond Bernal, published in 1954. It was the first comprehensive attempt to analyse the reciprocal relations of science and society throughout history. It was originally published in London by Watts. There were three editions up to 1969. It was republished by MIT Press in 1971 and is still in print. It is one of the sources for the idea - considered erroneous by modern historians - that Medieval Christianity had returned to the pre-scientific notion of a Flat Earth:

"In medieval times there was a return to the concept of a flat Earth and a dogmatism about the crystalline celestial spheres, here epitomized in a woodcut showing the machinery responsible for their motion discovered by an inquirer who has broken through the outer sphere of fixed stars. Sixteenth century." - Science in History, vol. 1, The Emergence of Science.

The Volumes Vol.1, The Emergence of Science, ISBN 0-262-52020-6 Vol.2, The Scientific and Industrial Revolution, ISBN 0-262-52021-4 Vol.3, The Natural Sciences in Our Time, ISBN 0-262-52082-6 Vol.4, The Social Sciences: Conclusion, ISBN 0-262-52023-0

External links Kerry Magruder blog: Is this a medieval flat-earth woodcut?

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Science in History

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Science in History claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Science in History before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Science in History ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Science in History

In research: Science in History appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Science in History in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Science in History is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1954 non-fiction books, Books about the history of science, History of science book stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Science in History outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Science in History in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Science in History means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Science in History out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Science in History in simple terms?

Why does Science in History matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Science in History?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Science in History.