
Indians predated Newton 'discovery' by 250 years (2007) - happy-go-lucky
https://phys.org/news/2007-08-indians-predated-newton-discovery-years.html
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rajekas
Kerala in particular and South India more generally has also preserved other
Indian knowledge traditions well - Ayurveda comes to mind.

But despite my innate Indian nationalism I think the time has come to stop
writing articles (or even having thoughts) like the one linked above.

Yes, many cultures, including several represented in the Indian subcontinent,
had deep and important ideas. It's even likely that in some disciplines - the
mind sciences being the most obvious - there are many ideas and practices that
are waiting to transform and revolutionize 'western' science, whatever that
might mean.

But the knee jerk chauvinistic instinct that says all science (& democracy &
sliced bread) arose in Greece and the Indian/Chinese/Middle-Eastern response
to counter that with continued fractions in the Lilavati (as well as
spaceships and chimeras) has run its course in my view. Plain common sense and
generosity suggests that insights have mingled across people's for millennia.
One of my favorite sources for that belief: Thomas McEvilley's superlative
"Shape of Ancient Thought." [1]

If anything, the events of the past weeks show that we are still stuck in a
parochial mindset when the big problems of the present and the foreseeable
future are all human in the expansive sense of that term. And why human - I
would rather rather we started thinking with any number of other species that
have something to teach us.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Shape-Ancient-Thought-Comparative-
Phi...](https://www.amazon.com/Shape-Ancient-Thought-Comparative-
Philosophies/dp/1581152035)

------
ncmncm
Like inventing zero wasn't enough?

Modern microwave equipment -- waveguides, horns, the works -- was invented by
a Bengali named Bose before 1900. Before even vacuum tubes.

~~~
Mediterraneo10
> Modern microwave equipment -- waveguides, horns, the works -- was invented
> by a Bengali named Bose before 1900.

I'll be honest, I initially downvoted your comment as a kneejerk reaction,
since I am so weary of seeing Hindutva activists claim that ancient India had
nuclear weapons and airplanes. I’m sorry for that, because you are right
indeed. The Bose in question is Jagadish Chandra Bose [0], and he seems to
have been a remarkable man indeed. Everyone should know about him just like we
recognize the names of Marconi, Tesla, and other scientists of his era.

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagadish_Chandra_Bose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagadish_Chandra_Bose)

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newyankee
[http://guruprasad.net/posts/fibonacci-number-series-
originat...](http://guruprasad.net/posts/fibonacci-number-series-originated-
ancient-india/)

Indian influence on Fibonacci series

