Scientific Revolution, another decisive proof of intense importance of intellectual health, part II

Our article tried to demonstrate the mammoth importance of intellectual health, by means of the Scientific Revolution. This article is also designed to accomplish the same role, indicating how the Scientific Revolution engendered by intellectual health has revolutionized the below field.

Health

University of California, Berkley is regarded as one of the most prestigious state universities in the United States of America and counts among the top 10 best universities in the world. This university highlights that without modern science, there would be no way to use modern medicine. “In the late 1700s, Edward Jenner first convincingly showed that vaccination worked. In the 1800s, scientists and doctors established the?theory?that many diseases are caused by germs.

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And in the 1920s, a biologist discovered the first antibiotic. From the eradication of smallpox, to the prevention of nutritional deficiencies, to successful treatments for once deadly infections, the impact of modern medicine on global health has been powerful. In fact, without science, many people alive today would have instead died of diseases that are now easily treated.”

Infamous plagues broke out in the past and remained uncontrollable for a long period of time, exterminating a gigantic number of souls. National Geographic, launched in 1888, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society which forms a well-known global nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring and safeguarding our planet. ?

This magazine featuring content on various fields like geography, science, history, culture, and exploration reports “Three particularly well-known pandemics occurred before the cause of plague was discovered. The first well-documented crisis was the Plague of Justinian, which began in 542 A.D. Named after the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, the pandemic killed up to 10,000 people a day in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey), according to ancient historians.

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Modern estimates indicate half of Europe's population—almost 100 million deaths—was wiped out before the plague subsided in the 700s. The so-called?Black Death [bubonic plague], a multi-century pandemic that swept through Asia and Europe. It was believed to start in China in 1334,?spreading along trade routes?and reaching Europe via Sicilian ports in the late 1340s. The plague killed an estimated 25 million people, almost a third of the continent’s population.”

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This plague significantly exacerbated hostility toward or discrimination against Jews throughout Europe. Jews were falsely blamed for the spread of the Black Death. As a result, a wave of violent?pogroms?followed, and whole Jewish?communities?were killed by mobs or?burned at the stake?in mass.

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Today, any epidemic or pandemic arising is instantaneously controlled; which is due to the explosion of knowledge where the latter one was initially generated by the Scientific Revolution.

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For example, the Black Death still occurs but it is easily defeated by modern medicine. This is corroborated by a 25th November 2019 article produced by ABC News. The story provides an example of a child in Idaho who had contracted the plague the year before, “leaving many wondering how the plague exists in the 21st century. The disease dates back to the Middle Ages, when it killed millions in a Europe, before the age of antibiotics.”

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This article shows that people during that period failed to understand causes of the plague, of course because the then citizens of that world didn’t possess technologies to help them detect them. “At the time, they did not realize the plague was carried by the fleas who lived on rats. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], the plague was first introduced in the U.S. in 1900 by rat-infested steamships.”

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With advanced technologies, scientists came to discover causes of the diseases. The article reads “The plague is caused by a bacteria called Yersinia pestis, which is transmitted by fleas. Infected fleas spread the infection to animals, commonly mice, squirrels, prairie dogs and even cats and dogs. Humans get the plague through direct contact with infected animals or fleas. In the U.S., people can contract the plague when disposing of squirrels or mice that died from the infection or traveled to an area where infected animals live. Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare.”

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ABC News further states that since 2000, the CDC has obtained reports of one to 17 cases of the plague per year. For instance, it specifies that 16 cases of the plague were pointed out in 2015 and only 4 cases in 2016. This medium highlights that the plague prevails mostly in Africa and that it also sometimes occurs in Asia and South America. The media organization says that in 2019, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported two patients of the plague in Beijing, and one in Inner Mongolia.

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ABC News says “The plague is a very serious illness, but is treatable with antibiotics, usually taken for seven to 14 days. Left untreated, people can still die from the plague.”

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There currently exist stunning innovations which are revolutionizing the healthcare system. In its 23 February 2023 article, the World Economic Forum [WEF] underlines 5 innovations which are drastically transforming the health sector. It specifies that spectacular advancements in technologies like artificial intelligence and gene editing are transforming how diseases are diagnosed and cured. WEF says "Medical innovations have occurred throughout history, continually advancing our ability to treat complex diseases. These include the first vaccine for smallpox in the 18th century, the development of antibiotics in the 1920s and the world’s first organ transplant three decades later.

However, the 21st century is bringing even more progress, with technological advances revolutionising the healthcare sector. The World Health Organization says innovation, particularly in the digital sphere, is taking place at an unprecedented scale."

Artificial intelligence [AI], and smart bandages are some of the 5 innovations. The WEF states that AI is being employed to detect, diagnose and treat disease and that this has become a significant area of life sciences. "Some believe it is the biggest healthcare revolution of the 21st century.

AI can detect diseases early and make more accurate diagnoses more quickly than conventional means. In breast cancer, AI is enabling mammograms to be reviewed 30 times faster with almost 100% accuracy, reducing the need for biopsies. Meanwhile, a deep-learning algorithm developed by health-tech company Qure.ai is enabling the early detection of lung cancer."

A mammogram is a specialized medical imaging technique which primarily utilized for the early detection of breast cancer. It entails taking X-ray images of the breast tissue, to pinpoint any abnormalities such as tumors or suspicious areas. Mammograms constitute an essential tool in breast cancer screening exercises, since they are able to detect cancerous growths before they can be felt through self-examination or a healthcare provider.

A biopsy represents a medical procedure where a small sample of tissue or cells is taken from a part of the body for microscopic examination. Biopsies are normally performed to identify or rule out various medical conditions such as cancer and other diseases.

The WEF explains that a smart bandage constitutes a bandage which employs sensors to monitor wound healing and has been created by researchers in the United States of America. The Stanford University team behind this technology says that a smart bandage ensures faster closure of wounds, increases new blood flow to injured tissue, and accelerates skin recovery by considerably decreasing scar formation.

Further details on the Scientific Revolution

Let’s first tell you that the Scientific Revolution represents the humanity's pivotal jumping from the shadows of ignorance into the stunning light of knowledge. It has sparked a transformative journey which is continuing to shape the humanity’s understanding of the universe and its place within it, as already shown.

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The Scientific Revolution forms the cornerstone of progress, the origin of the modern civilization, an era where curiosity replaced a dogma, and discovery turned into the humanity’s guiding star.? The Scientific Revolution stands as genesis of the humanity’s collective quest for truth, a testament to the indomitable spirit of human curiosity, and a sign that a human being possesses extremely dazzling capacities.

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It represents a drastic change in scientific thought which happened in the 16th and 17th centuries. A new view toward?nature?arose during the Scientific Revolution. It came, substituting the Greek view which stayed the most powerful force in science?for virtually 2,000 years. Science thus changed into an?autonomous?discipline, different from both?philosophy?and?technology. Science was eventually considered to bear utilitarian goals. By the end of this period, science had evicted?Christianity?from the position of the focal point of European civilization.?

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Utilitarian goals are focused on accomplishing the greatest overall benefit or utility for the biggest number of people. The concept of utilitarianism, often associated with philosopher Jeremy Bentham and later polished by John Stuart Mill, underscores the idea of maximizing happiness or well-being and minimizing suffering or harm.

World History Encyclopedia says “The?Scientific Revolution?(1500-1700), which occurred first in?Europe?before spreading worldwide, witnessed a new approach to knowledge gathering – the?scientific method?– which utilised new technologies like the telescope to observe, measure, and test things never seen before."

?"Thanks to the development of dedicated institutions, scientists conducted yet more experiments and shared their knowledge, making it ever more accurate. By the end of this 'revolution',?science?had replaced?philosophy?as the dominant method of acquiring new knowledge and improving the human condition.”

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The Scientific Revolution saw several inventions. The latter ones are technological innovations having permitted new scientists to pinpoint new things about the world, measure, test, and evaluate these new phenomena. Some of the most significant inventions in the Scientific Revolution are the telescope created in 1608, the microscope invented in 1610, the barometer in 1643, the thermometer in 1650, the pendulum clock in 1657, and the air pump in 1659.

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This period also witnessed vital discoveries. Those inventions and others which were performed afterwards enabled scientists, in multifarious nations, to conduct new discoveries. Those inventions and discoveries generated new specializations of study including meteorology, microscopic anatomy, embryology, and optics, among others.

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For instance, the encyclopedia states “The Italian?Galileo Galilei?(1564-1642) built the most powerful of the early telescopes, and with it, he discovered the mountains and valleys of the Moon's surface, previously thought to be made of some unknown substance.?Galileo?identified four moons of the planet?Jupiter?and the phases of?Venus. He observed sunspots, leading him to suggest the Sun was a turning sphere.

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The German?Johannes Kepler?(1571-1630) created a new type of telescope, which used two convex lenses, and he used it to observe the heavenly bodies and confirm the heliocentric view of our galaxy proposed by?Nicolaus Copernicus?(1473-1543 CE). At last, the geocentric model of Ptolemy was shown to be wrong. In addition, Kepler demonstrated that the planets moved in elliptical and not circular orbits.”

It adds that the Italian?Marcello Malpighi?employed a microscope, to discover capillaries in the blood system in 1661. “This was the missing link between arteries and veins, and it confirmed?William Harvey's discovery of blood circulation.?The liquid thermometer, was invented in Florence around 1650, and it transformed?medicine, allowing doctors to measure a patient's temperature beyond a mere 'hot', 'cold' or 'normal'. The device meant many other experiments could now be made and the results accurately measured and compared.”

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In brief, the Scientific Revolution with science and invention wedding has generated colossal transformations in various sectors including medicine, agriculture, mining, navigation, business, and technologies, just to mention very few. In other words, these technologies which we witness today constitute the impact of the Scientific Revolution.

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Isaac Newton role in the Scientific Revolution with his amazing intellectual health capabilities

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Newton has been a dominating figure in this period of the Scientific Revolution. Biography forms the website for the television show “Biography” seen on the A&E Television Network. The network is an American multinational broadcasting company which is a joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company through its Entertainment department.

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It says “When Newton arrived at Cambridge [University], the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century was already in full force. The heliocentric view of the universe—theorized by astronomers?Nicolaus Copernicus?and Johannes Kepler, and later refined by?Galileo—was well known in most European academic circles. During his first three years at Cambridge, Newton was taught the standard curriculum but was fascinated with the more advanced science. All his spare time was spent reading from the modern philosophers.

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It was during this time that Newton kept a second set of notes, entitled "Quaestiones Quaedam Philosophicae" ("Certain Philosophical Questions"). The "Quaestiones" reveal that Newton had discovered the new concept of nature that provided the framework for the Scientific Revolution.?In 1705, he was knighted by Queen Anne of England, making him Sir Isaac Newton.”

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Space is a popular website which covers news, stories, and developments pertaining to space exploration, astronomy, astrophysics, and other related topics. Space says “Sir Isaac Newton contributed significantly to the field of science over his lifetime.”

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“He invented?calculus?and provided a clear understanding of optics. But his most significant work had to do with forces, and specifically with the development of a universal law of gravitation and his?laws of motion,” adds Space whose editorial teams are based in the United States and United Kingdom and provides a platform for space enthusiasts, scientists, researchers, and the general public to remain updated on the latest discoveries, missions, technologies, and events in the realm of space.

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Calculus is used in numerous fields of life.? Instances of calculus application in scientific spheres include space exploration, telecommunications systems, computer science, engineering, medicine, pharmacology, business, meteorology, and music, among others.

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In the meantime, the NIH says “Majority of the 20th?Century happenings have influenced the 21st?Century. The 20th?Century saw a revolutionary change in the living style of many people of which they were customary and habitual to live, owing to social, ideological political, technological, and medical innovations.

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The 20th?Century saw a tremendous change because of significant inventions like mobile phones and computer software, which has completely transformed man's status of living. These are known as marvelous achievements of the mankind.”

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Most of these, if not all, significant inventions were created during the Scientific Revolution to which Sir Newton contributed significantly. AI is already affirmed to constitute the greatest achievement of the 21st century.

Newton's invention of calculus has actually fulfilled an immense role in the development of AI though indirectly. Calculus encompasses both differential and integral calculus. It supplies strong mathematical tools to model and understand dynamic systems which involve those met in AI.

By Jean Baptiste Ndabananiye- Media, Empowerment& MBA.

Management and Journalism Professional/Consultant with a demonstrated history/experience of involvement in women’s empowerment, project/program management, peace-building/conflict transformation, training, public awareness campaigns, governance and budget transparency, advocacy, documentation, the broadcast media industry, and community justice, among others.

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He is skilled, among others, in English and French, Project& Program Management, Media Production, Peace-building, Leadership, Advocacy, and Kinyarwanda- English-French Translation, and Mind-Body Connection and its Link with Health through extensive reading and investigation about these two fields as well as Health Reporting and Communication. Strong management, media and communication professional with a Bachelor's and Master's focused in Journalism& Communication and MBA-Project Management respectively from University of Rwanda and Mount Kenya University.

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