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Comment by la64710 | Hacker News Reader

Why do the first chapters of all physics textbook ONLY talk about Greek philosophers and scientists and NEVER talk about contribution to Science from eastern civilization like India and China ? These civilizations have a very rich heritage and astounding contribution to many underlying scientific philosophies. Yet generation after generation of writers ignore them and it is sad to see that being true even today. It is time that this is changed.

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Off the top of my head, I can name three things from either China or India that are science-related: the positional numbering system (and zero), the Chinese remainder theorem, and gunpowder. What am I missing that's very important yet rarely mentioned?

India: quite a bit of astronomy and geometry. Also logic, philosophy and linguistics if you want to include them in the science list.

China: chemistry and metallurgy.

Indian science took a weird turn towards metaphysics and mystical stuff once the priests started playing a fundamental role in education.

Because we don't care about the real history, it's just a euphemism for laying down the basics of things like reference frames.

The Indian number system is treated in detail. Indian mathematicians are mentioned and cited.

Good to know that , I did not go past the first few pages. Now some interesting contribution from India that I never heard of before https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/indians-predated-...

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aryabhata-I

But I doubt that many conventional physics textbook will not even mention these and others. The writers are not to blame , but no doubt the ignorance is an unfortunate reality.

can you recommend me some good books on China and India's contributions to Science please?

Do you read a lot about the history of science? Which books would you recommend?

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