Sophia Elahi RPC Blog

This week I learned about the mariners astrolabe, double-entry bookkeeping, Luca Pacioli, and Leonardo da Vinci.

Mariners Astrolabe

The early efforts of the Portuguese laid the foundation for nautical discoveries. Several subpar options were available for determining latitude while sailing. The mariner’s astrolabe made it easier to use in windy conditions. The device’s popularity spread largely because of the book The Art of Navigations (1561). The instrument unlocked Portuguese navigational skills for the rest of Europe.

Double-Entry Bookkeeping

Italian merchants began developing better accounting methods. Double entry bookkeeping verifies each transactions by making sure the books balance. Luca Pacioli documented the technique in his most popular book. It led to growing capital and a booming economy.

Luca Pacioli

Pacioli was trained in arithmetic skills since a young age. He gained influence as a traveling university professor. Commerce and banking benefited from his writing, as probably did Leonardo da Vinci’s painting skills.

Leonardo da Vinci

Da Vinci painted beautiful paintings, which have become the most famous paintings in the world. Like the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. He was successful during his lifetime, gaining the support of several wealthy and influential people. His paintings are his strongest legacy, but he struggled to finish what he started and never seemed to specialize. He would have made more paintings if he stopped chasing interests that he never focused on for long.

This week I learned about chess, the arquebus, the printing press, and the mainspring.

Chess

Chess developed from India in the 6^th century as a game about Indian military strategy. It is taught in schools because it teaches strategy, the costs of our actions, and time perspective. It is now enjoyed as a popular sport.

 Arquebus

What is an arquebus? It is a type of gun. The arquebus evolved from the hand cannon, because of the need to penetrate knightly armor. It shoots farther than an arrow, and deadlier. It quickly became standard issue in the new standing armies arising in European states. The arquebus ended the era of the medieval knight and brought in the era of imperial colonization by European states.

The Printing Press

Before the 15th century, since most didn’t know how to read, ideas were communicated through word of mouth or visually. The printing press was officially invented by Johann Gutenberg because he was the first made popular. It lowered the price of books and enabled the quick transmission of knowledge and ideas across the world.

The Mainspring

Precise timekeeping was revolutionary, but confined to cities and towns until the 1500s. The challenge was how to invent a portable power source for the watch. The mainspring stores energy in a steel coil, which is tightly coiled or wrapped in a compact form. It caught on because of its utility in watches, especially in pocket watches. Its use declined in the 20^th century as electronics began taking over.

My favorite invention I learned about this week is the arquebus. It is my favorite because I never heard of the arquebus, and I love learning new things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This essay summarizes each of the inventions that I studied this week and how they impacted history and the most interesting thing I learned this week, and why.

English Longbow

The English Longbow was almost always as tall, or even taller, than the archer.  In 1252 there was an update that said that all of the king’s men must carry a longbow.  It was very hard for beginners, so king’s men began training as boys, so they could be ready when it was time to fight.

Spurs

The earliest spurs were straight, but they later evolved into the round spur over time. The spurs allow greater control of the horse and allow the rider to help the horse overcome fear. Their symbolic value was their most defining characteristic.

Blast Furnace

The blast furnace melted iron ore efficiently, and it was cooled as ingots into pig iron.  Iron demand increased in the 14^th century due to bell-making and spread of cannons, and thus the increased use of blast furnaces.  Innovation in the blast furnace contributed to the Industrial Revolution.

Plate Armor

Plate Armor evolved from chain-mail.  It was light and could block most of the attacks at that time.  While Knighthood had been around in Europe since the 13^th century, by the 17^th century, armies were staffed with Knights wearing full body plate armor.  It can be said that nation-states and Liberty both grew out of the legacy of plate armor.

 

This essay is summarizing each of the inventions that I studied this week and how they impacted history. Also, explain the most interesting thing I learned this week, and why.

Spectacles

Before spectacles old ages was a threat to scholars and to the division of labor. For scholars, old age meant bad eyesight. For the division of labor, they had to put people into early retirement for bad vision. A gradual increase in theories of optics and vision led to the first eyeglasses,. The glasses thwart the effects of old age on our vision. They were adopted by the elite, and then by masses. 60% of the population use glasses, contacts and other visual aids that evolved from the glasses.

Mechanical Clock

Before the Mechanical clock there were only two types “clocks” although they were not precise. If the clocks lose track of time you might think that it is 7’o clock, when it really is 11′ o clock. After the mechanical clock was invented, keeping track of time was much easier. You could schedule things better, tell time easier, and have a more accurate to-do list and do it.

Paper mills

Before the paper mills, people had to make their own paper, which was hard to do because you would have to do everything by hand.  You would have to chip the wood, heat it (and don’t let it burn), and even bleach it.  All for a few pieces of coin.  At least it wasn’t hard to write on like animal skin or bones.  When the paper mills were invented, people didn’t have to do so much work.  Even the fiber was taken out of the paper to make it less HARD.

Robert Grosseteste

Robert’s scientific inspirations were founded in Christian theology.  He made important advances in optics (rainbows) and pointed out flaws in Aristotle’s philosophy.  His colleagues and successors treasured his work and recited him in defense of their own theories.  His intelligent heirs further developed science and planted the seeds of the Protestant Reformation.

My favorite invention I learned about this week is the spectacles. It’s hard to think that the glasses were invented centuries ago, and everybody around me uses them.

 

 

 

This essay is about the inventions I learned about this week.

Buttons

Clothing before buttons relied on heavy metal brooches, pins, and cloth drawstrings. Buttons fasten form-fitting clothes snugly to the body and improve heat retention. The nobility adopted buttons first, and this inspired the lower classes to imitate them.

Oil Paintings

Tempera painting was dominant as art style progressed from Romanesque to Gothic. Jan Van Eyck adapted oil paint to portraits and landscapes and invented this technique. Oil painting makes it possible to capture much more depth and detail and paint photo-realistic images. Van Eyck style was popular and quickly imitated throughout Northern Europe. His technique was transmitted down to Italy and incorporated into the Renaissance painting movement.

Cannons

Before the cannon, Europe was decentralized with stone castles populating the landscape. Gunpowder and bell-making led to the invention of the first cannon. Cannons were revolutions in firepower compared to the trebuchet. They spread by word of mouth through the military victories they produced. They helped bring in the early modern era as the social order of the Middle Ages faded away.