University of Guelph - Department of History HIST*1250 Science and Technology in a Global Context Final Examination Instructor: Marc-André Gagnon Semester: Fall 2022 General Directives: ● This is a take-home exam. ● Complete both sections A and B. Please double-space your answers. Make sure you have answered all parts of each question. ● Answers should make reference to the course readings, videos and lecture. ○ Please use the Chicago Style of Citation when citing and/or paraphrasing. ● You may use the course material to complete this exam. However, collaboration with peers during the exam is prohibited. ● Outside research is not necessary to complete this Take-Home. Questions are released on December 1 and you will have until December 8 (at 11:59 pm) to submit your answer via Dropbox in Courselink. Please avoid sending late exams. GOOD LUCK!! SECTION A - Short Answers (5 points / each) Identify, contextualize and explain the significance of SIX (6) of the following twelve (12) items. Maximum 10 lines per answer. Bullet-points are allowed. Irrigation Public Health Movement House of Wisdom Printing Press (1450s) Section B on the next page. Monasticism Translation Movements The Academies Didrot’s Encyclopedia Rangaku Medieval Universities Heliocentrism The Chemists’ War SECTION B - Essay (20 points) PROVIDE ANSWERS TO 1 OF THESE 3 ESSAY QUESTIONS. A strong essay will provide an argument and cite examples as a way to support that argument. It will also use precise and specific language. Maximum of 4 pages, double-spaced. 1. For decades, historians have been debating whether or not the scientific advances that took place between 1550 and 1750 deserve to be described as revolutionary. Write an essay in which you argue for or against the usefulness of the concept of the scientific revolution for this period. Was there such a thing as a scientific revolution, a moment in time during which new ideas, methods and aims profoundly changed the sciences, or were many of these changes already visible in the preceding period? If so, what is the legacy of the scientific revolution? 2. For more than a millennium, Ancient Greek natural philosophers (including Roman contributors such as Galen and Ptolemy) were adapted, translated, commented, and criticized. Using examples seen in class, analyze their enduring legacy in the history of science and technology. How was Greek science introduced to other civilizations? How did it make a comeback in Europe? And what would lead to its demise? 3. Between the 15th and the 20th-century, European nations competed for colonial holdings and operating global trade networks. Discuss how travels, explorations, and exploitation of natural resources were instrumental in the development of sciences in the West. What kinds of scientific activities are promoted? Your answer should refer to the institutions created in Europe to analyze or catalog this knowledge, the broader impacts of scientific expeditions, and imperialistic policies during the industrial age.
