Who was Paracelsus?

Paracelsus was a renowned German physicist, and botanist of Swiss origin. His path breaking findings in botany and medicine made him a pioneer in his field.

Paracelsus became a notable physician in the early 16th century. He rejected most of the prevalent and widely accepted worlo views, and magic theories of medicine. While working on medicines, Paracelsus brought together the use of chemicals in medicines. In 1526, he coined the term 'zincum' for the chemical element zinc. He is also known for discovering laudanum' which is an alcoholic herbal preparation.

Paracelsus was a strict follower, and a firm believer of the classical Greek concept of elements.

However, he added his own findings to this concept. Paracelsus' real name was Philippus von Hohenheim.

The name 'Paracelsus' was actually a nickname. It means 'equal to or greater than Celsus' and refers to his medical skill.

Why is Euclid called the father of geometry'?

Euclid, who was born in Alexandria in Egypt, lived more than 300 years before Christ. He is renowned to this day for his book Elements'. For centuries, this book was one of the main texts for teaching geometry. Elements' is divided into thirteen books, which cover plain geometry, arithmetic and number theory, irrational numbers, and solid geometry. His books begin with basic defi nitions, and then go on to prove different mathematical theories. So, it is only natural that Euclid is called the father of geometry. He stressed the importance of logic and reason in teaching and under- standing maths. Though some of his books are lost, at least five of them are still in existence, and are proof of his remarkable gift for mathematics.

What are the major contributions made by Archimedes?

Archimedes is best remembered as an ancient Greek scientist who made legendary contributions to mathematics, physics, engineering, and astronomy. Archimedes, who lived about 300 years before Christ, is also remembered for his discovery of the relation between the surface and volume of a sphere, and its circumscribing cylinder. He played a major role in developing calculus and analysis. This scientist explained how levers worked, andbuiltwar machines. But, Archimedes is most famous for the Archimedes Principle which explains how to measure the volume of an irregular object. Archimedes discovered his principle quite by accident. He noticed that the water level of the bathtub rose when he got in, and he realised that you could measure volume by putting it on water, and measuring how much the water level rose. Supposedly, the scientist got so excited by this discovery that he ran through the streets naked, yelling Eureka!' which is Greek for 'I figured it out!

Why is Alhazen known as the pioneer of modern optics?

Born in the tenth century AD, Alhazen was an Arab who was known as the first true scientist. He developed the scientific method of experimentation, and was the first person to formulate hypothesis and conduct verifiable experiments. A scientist, philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, Alhazen wrote over a hundred books, more than half of which have been preserved. One of his most influential writings was in the field of optics. In this book Alhazen gave experimental proof of the nature of light, the structure of the eye and the basic principles of reflection via mirror. He stated that contrary to popular belief, the eye does not send out rays to the object it sees. Rather it is the light reflected via the object that the eye beholds. This was a completely new and revolutionary concept. The book comprises sevenvoles, and was translated into Latin.

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