21st century China is modernising at Break neck speed. From AD 600 to 1500, China was the most technologically advanced society on Earth. Early discoveries put China in the vanguard of science and technology in the ancient world and light years ahead of Western cultures for a very long time. But Chinese researchers shared something with those in the West: ancient Chinese alchemists and inventors were trying to solve problems. Advances in Chinese science and technology were spurred by dynastic emperors seeking practical solutions to the challenges of ruling and defending their vast empires. Building on thousands of years of observation and experimentation, ancient Chinese researchers sought to harness the power of the classic elements--earth, wind, water, and fire.
More than 5,000 years ago, faith moved mountains--virtually. Observations must have led the ancient Egyptians to believe that the cycles of life were governed by a rule whereby each phenomenon they detected had a counterpart. Life, they concluded, must have an afterlife as its opposite. And to enjoy the afterlife, you needed a body, one that was your own in this life and one that would remain intact. Achieving this goal propelled discoveries and innovations in technology and science. The program traces the scale and effects of ancient Egyptian faith by closely examining the rise and fall of pyramid construction. Viewers will discover how life in ancient Egypt was consumed with the preparation for the afterlife. As the desire and financial ability of Egyptians seeking the afterlife increased, a highly specialized and diversified workforce grew. This helped promote an intricate industry and infrastructure of organization, supply lines, and administration.
The Western world is built on the wisdom and traditions of the ancient Greeks, who uncovered the fundamental principles that established the basics of modern technology. Explore their contributions to geometry, astronomy, and physics and take a close-up look at how they applied their knowledge: Thales predicted an eclipse, Pythagoras discovered mathematical correlation between a musical instrument's string length and its tone, Archimedes developed laws of mechanics, and a group of 90 priests made well-informed educated guesses about many things.
India is one of the oldest and richest civilizations in the world. It is home to the world’s first planned cities, where every house had its own bathroom and toilet five thousand years ago. The Ancient Indians have not only given us yoga, meditation and complementary medicines, but they have furthered our knowledge of science, maths – and invented Chaturanga, which became the game of chess. According to Albert Einstein, they “taught us how to count”, as they invented the numbers 1-9 and ‘zero’, without which there would be no computers or digital age. Unfairly we call this system of counting Arabic numbers – a misplaced credit. Two thousand years ago the Indians pioneered plastic surgery, reconstructing the noses and ears on the faces of people who had been disfigured through punishment or warfare. They performed eye operations such as cataract removal and invented inoculation to protect their population from Smallpox, saving thousands of lives.
Japan an island group roughly 120 million people strong, is one of the largest economic powers in the world today. In the eyes of history, Japan’s economic success happened overnight and yet it didn’t come out of the blue. Cultivating an ancient legacy, modern Japan continues to hold on to its past. And while today many of the ancient crafts are struggling to survive, they provide the foundation for modern Japan’s technological success. What the Ancient Japanese knew helps explain the industrial marvel of one of the largest economic powers in the world.
More than 2,000 years ago, the Roman army swept across Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East. Backed by the legions, their military, and engineering skills, the Romans built one of the largest empires in history, dominating as many as 36 modern nations. Technology helped shape the ancient world and reverberates in our Western lifestyle and amenities today. But the Roman legacy is less about invention itself than about the spreading of the ancient technology. Rather than invent most of what they became famous for, the Romans adopted, perfected, and spread their enemies' inventions throughout their empire.
