Late Hellenism:

see above page 418 Classical science (200 BC)

 

dialectic:

the art or practice of logical discussion as employed in investigating the truth of a theory or opinion; logical argumentation.

 

Ionic:

Spengler’s term for the Summer period of Apollonian Culture, 450-300 BC

 

Baroque:

Spengler’s term for the Summer of Faustian Culture, the final great creative period 1500 to 1800 AD

 

Alexandrianism:

the teachings of the Alexandrian culture or theology; relating to the Alexandrian school, the collective designation for certain tendencies in literature, philosophy, medicine & the sciences that developed in the Hellenistic cultural centre Alexandria

 

18th century science (methods):

Newton’s methodology (to examine a subject experimentally, employ a hypothesis & investigate until a coherent theory emerged) was adopted; the mathematics of Newton & Leibniz was developed by Euler (calculus of variations) to provide a tool for dealing with complex problems while d’Alembert & Lagrange mathematized mechanics, reducing it to an axiomatic system requiring only mathematical manipulation.  Using Newton’s laws Laplace, systematized everything that had been done in celestial mechanics; the establishment of permanent scientific societies & Diderot's Encyclopédie (published 1751-72), both dramatically increased diffusion of new ideas

 

19th century science (powers):

Darwin & Wallace introduced the idea of evolution by natural selection.  In physics, the experiments, theories & discoveries of Faraday, Ampere, Maxwell led to the creation of electromagnetism.  electrical science revolutionized physics giving birth to a host of new technologies (electric power-1830s, telegraph-1840s, telephone-1870s & radio-1890s).  Thermodynamics was born leading to a new understanding of heat & the idea of energy was defined.  In medicine & biology the germ theory of disease was proven; Pasteur made the first vaccine against rabies, & discovered the asymmetry of crystals (chemistry).  In chemistry, Mendeleev, following the atomic theory of Dalton, created the first periodic table of elements.   In astronomy, Neptune was discovered.  In mathematics, complex numbers matured leading to analytical theory; Weierstrass carried out the arithmetization of analysis for functions of real & complex variables.  Geometry progressed beyond Euclid into new forms & dimensions

 

savant-generations:

a generation of learning, one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field (such as science or literature)

 

Aristotle:

Aristotle died in 322 BC was followed by a host of great minds: Aristarchus of Samos (310-230 B.C.), the "Hellenistic Copernicus; the Hellenistic mathematician of greatest renown was Euclid (323 -285 BC), Eratosthenes ( 276-194 BC) who established  geography, Herophilus of Chalcedon (335–280 BC) made progress in medicine as did Erasistratus (304-250 BC), & preeminent scientist & mathematician, Archimedes(287-212 BC).

and see above page 418 Classical science (200 BC)

 

Gauss:

see Chapter II pages 59, 85, 88 Chapter III page 112 Chapter V pages 170, 172 Chapter IX page 327

 

Humbolt:

see Chapter X page 374

 

Helmholtz:

see Chapter II pages 64, Chapter XI pages 377, 386

 

decresrcendo:

musical term, a gradual decrease in the volume of music, it is the opposite of crescendo, (the gradual increase in the loudness of a musical passage).

 

gleaners:

to gather grain or other produce left by reapers; to gather information or material bit by bit