History of Science

A Journey Through Time and Thought —The Life and Words of Ahmed Zewail. In the vast expanse of scientific discovery, few names shine as brightly...

Trees quietly draw water from their roots to their highest leaves, lifting it over 100 meters without any visible mechanism. Most of this water evaporates, and only a small amount is used for photosynthesis. For centuries, this process puzzled scientists until the late 19th century, when the Cohesion-Tension (CT) theory explained how evaporation and water molecule cohesion make this possible. Despite this breakthrough, researchers still debate the details: how water moves through roots and nanoscale spaces, how trees survive cavitation and repair themselves, and how climate change could disrupt this balance. Professor Harvey Brown examines these ongoing mysteries in this article.

Rabindranath Tagore stood apart from his contemporaries in his nuanced engagement with modernity. Although he embraced the intellectual grandeur of theoretical science as an essential facet of human culture, he remained deeply skeptical of technology, particularly when it was divorced from ethical and aesthetic considerations. This article explores Tagore’s complex relationship with science and technology, tracing his philosophical objections to the latter while illuminating his reverence for the former.

John Bell made contributions to many areas of physics, including accelerators, quantum field theory, and the physics of elementary particles, but his most important work was the so-called Bell's inequality, which reopened the study of the fundamental nature of quantum theory and made important conceptual advances. There have been many applications, both theoretical and practical.

The history of science is often traced back to Classical Greece or the European Renaissance; however, its roots extend much deeper into the past. In this inaugural issue of Curiosita, we are pleased to present an essay that highlights one of the earliest and most significant cradles of scientific and technological advancement: the Indus Valley Civilization.

India’s intellectual history is characterized by ancient brilliance, a phase of decline, and a modern resurgence, featuring foundational contributions in mathematics, science, and technology prior to the 16th century. In his exploration, Professor Ajoy Ghatak examines these early advancements, which laid the groundwork for a 19th-century revival in education and research.

In the very first issue of Curiositá, we’re thrilled to feature Sir Roger Penrose, the 2020 Nobel Prize winner in Physics. His incredible journey...