India to Africa

• Indus River Valley, Indian Civilization

  4500 BC
• Indian Civilization


  • Agricultural in nature
  • Hand-propelled wheel cart & animal-drawn plow
  • Crop production – irrigation, water storage systems, artificial reservoir, drainage system, & sewage
• Mining Technology (metallurgy) in India

  • Iron works were developed to make farm implements from Iron, Copper, Zinc, Bronze, and Wootz steel
  • Spikes, Knives, Daggers, Swords, Axes, tongs, Chisels, Spoons, Bowls, Arrow-heads, Saucepans, Door fittings
  • Metal coins from silver and copper with animal and plant symbols
  • Diamonds were mined to make gemstone
• Decimal number


  Modern numeration system
• Hindi numerals


  Symbols representing one to nine
• Binary coefficient and binary numbers

  Introduced by Pingala
• Concept of zero (0)

  As a number not a separation; created by Aryabhata
• Mathematics in India


  • Infinite series, Calculus, Trigonometry, Geometry and Algebra developed by Madhava
  • Laws of signs in multiplication of positive and negative numbers
  • Pythagorean theorem
  • Modern elementary arithmetic
  • Rulers and linear measures made from ivory and shell
  • Calculus theorem "Rolle's theorem" developed by Bhaskara II
• Charaka Samhita


  Medical treatise authored by Charaka containing Anatomy, Physiology, Etiology prognosis, Opathology, Treatment, Objectives, Influence of Environmental Factors, Medicines and application and procedure and sequence of medication
• Indian Medicine


  • Traditional cataract surgery made by Sushruta, 6th century BCE
  • Plastic surgery
  • Cure for leprosy
  • Alternative medicine
  • Veterinary medicine
• Textile technology in India

  • Cashmere wool fibers – garments and shawls
  • Seashells – ornamental button
  • Calico fibers
  • Prayer flags
  • Production and processing of indigo as a dye for clothing materials
  • Use of cotton spinning and fabrication
  • Jute cultivation, production, and processing to make ropes and cordage
  • Spinning wheels
  • Cotton gin as charkha, "wooden-worm-worked roller"
• Other Indian innovations


  • Water technology – irrigation, canals, drainage & water storage
  • Metrology – standardication using weights and measures
  • Refined sugar – crystallization of sugars to make candies
  • Black carbon ink with a sharp pointed needle
  • Squat toilets
  • Aryabhata – objects don't fall when earth rotates; geocentric solar system of gravitation; epicycles & Brahmagupta described the attractive force as gravity
  • Prafulla Chandra Roy – synthesize ammonium nitratie (NH4NO2) in its pure form
  • Homi Jehangir Bhabha – electron-positron scattering (Bhabha scattering)
  • Tipu Sultan – developed iron-cased and metal-cylinder rockets, combustion powder
  • Earth's revolution – bearing 365.2563627 over the modern value of 365.256363
  • Jagadish Chandra Bose – crescograph, a device for measuring plants
  • Simputer (simple, inexpensive and multilingual people's computer) – self-contained, open hardware handheld computer
• Chinese Civilization is one of the greatest cradles of civilization, leading in Science, Technology and innovation
• Chinese Information & Communication

  • Papermaking - Cai Lun adopted woodblock printing (Tang Dynasty) made quicker and easier by Bi Sheng (Song Dynasty)
  • Compass
  • Water-driven mechanical clock
  • Earthquake detectors – determines the direction of earthquake
  • Row crop farming
• Chinese Medicine


  • Medicinal plants
  • Acupuncture- body system resets
• Other Chinese innovations


  • Rocket
  • Gunpowder
  • Grenades
  • Fireworks
  • Planetarium
  • Porcelain
  • Iron plow
  • Kites
  • Lanterns
  • Abacus
  • Crossbows
  • Paper money
  • Rudder
  • Wheelboats
  • Shadow clock
  • Fire lance
  • Gunpowder
  • Carriage wheels
  • Silk
• In the 14th Century, there was a restriction of practical applications of science and technology in China
• During the Cultural Revolution, intellects and scientists were sent to do manual labor; universities, academics, journals and researchers stopped to function
• In 1976, Deng Xiaoping, the new leader and intellectual, revolutionized China with modernization programs which prompted the promotion of valuing science, technology, innovation, scientific method and attitude and scientific achievements
• In modern times, China has transformed from a "sleeping giant" to enjoying glories as a world power and leader
• Modern Innovations in China

  • In 2011, China had the most number of filed patent applications and next to USA in 2014
  • Drone technology – first to have large-scale transporters of amphibious drone and created first flying taxi drone
  • Leading in Internet of Things technology
  • Largest e-commerce US$1.132 trillion
  • Has the most number of supercomputers (202 of 500 worldwide)
  • Largest inventors of renewable energy technology
  • Addressed environmental problems (wastewater recycling & reduction in powerplant)
  • Regenerative medicine – tissue engineering and gene therapy
  • Biotechnology – enhancing economic dev't and improve environmental protection
  • Military technology – anti-satellite weapons, anti-ballistic missile
  • Space Science – Dong Fang Hong I, satellite launches in 1970, made China third to send human in space; spacewalk using satellite Shenzhou 7
  • Automotive industry – world leader on electric vehicles
  • Renewable energy – solar powers and largest producer of wind turbines and hydropower
• The pursuit of scholarship and science is a duty of every Muslim
• Mesopotamia (Iraq)


  • Geographically rich – have access to Greek cultural heritage (Byzantine Empire) and proximal to India
  • Scientific method & practical critical thinking were implored from nearby countries which produced new products based on the results of observation and experimentation
• Al-Khwarizmi


  Introduced the word algebra, (Arabic "al-jabr" which means restoring balance) in an equation; He was the first to introduce the concept of raising a number to a power
• Mathematics in the Islamic World

  • Muslims introduced the first calendar with 12 lunar months; division of time by 60s (60 sec/min and 60 min/hr); division of circle by 360 degrees; formula for circumference and area for different geometric shapes such as rectangle, circles and triangles
  • Record keeping, schematics for machines (water pump), calculating tax rates, designs and project building
• Islamic Engineering


  • Reservoirs, aqueducts, water wheels, elaborate systems for irrigation
• Agriculture in the Islamic World


  • New knowledge of plants and natural history
• Al-Jazari


  Invented revolutionary crank-connecting system by converting rotary motion to linear motion, enabling heavy objects to be lifted easily
• Construction in the Islamic World

  • Development of simple machines (ramp, lever) for construction
• Astronomy in the Islamic World

  • Stellar observation (North)
  • Aided navigation – using lunar calendar and prayer
• Medical Theory in the Islamic World

  • Imbibed Greek concept of 4 elements (earth, air fire, water; Combination of traditional herbal lore, alchemy and medical-natural for medicines
  • Ahmad ibn Tulun Hospital – first hospital in Cairo had wards and teaching centers
  • Zahrawi – performed surgery and caesarean operations and created the first forceps
  • Mummies – preservation of dead ones using embalming and drying technology
• Other significant Islamic Inventions

  • Brewed coffee
  • Flying machine (by Abbas ibn Firnas)
  • University in Fez – first degree-granting university in Morocco founded by Princess Fatima al-Firhi
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Color theory by Ibn al-Hathaim – proved humans see object by light reflecting off of them and entering the eye; dismissing Euclid and Ptolemy's theories
  • Windmill
  • Musical instruments – lute and rahab (ancestors of the violin)
• Oil


  • Most important source of energy (since mid 1950s)
  • Supplier of energy – heat and light homes, fuel (transpo & food)
  • Discovery and exploitation changed the social, political and economic statue of ME paved way on creation of extensive and profound developments of producers and users
  • Standard of living and quality of life improved
• High-school level concepts in Math are found in Africa
• Zaire


  A town which developed its own numerical system
• Yoruba


  Units based on 20s not 10s
• Africans have more abstract reasoning
• Mathematics in Ancient Egypt

  • Principles of Pythagorean Theorem – fundamentals of algebra and geometry
  • Fractions and four basic Math operations (+,-,x,/)
  • Surface areas of triangles and circles
• Lebombo bone


  Oldest known Math artifact between Swaziland and S. Africa (35,000BCE)
• Astronomy in Africa


  • African Stonehenge (Kenya) accurate calendar
  • The Dogon people of Mali – detailed astronomical observations (Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moons, spiral structure of milky way galaxy and Orbit of Sirius star system