History of science

The history of science is the study of the development of science and scientific knowledge, including both the natural sciences and social sciences. (The history of the arts and humanities is termed as the history of scholarship.) Science is a body of empirical, theoretical, and practical knowledge about the natural world, produced by scientists who emphasize the observation, explanation, and prediction of real world phenomena. Historiography of science, in contrast, studies the methods by which historians study the history of science.

History of science

The English word scientist is relatively recent—first coined by William Whewell in the 19th century. Previously, people investigating nature called themselves "natural philosophers". While empirical investigations of the natural world have been described since classical antiquity (for example, by Thales and Aristotle), and scientific method has been employed since the Middle Ages (for example, by Ibn al-Haytham and Roger Bacon), modern science began to develop in the early modern period, and in particular in the scientific revolution of 16th- and 17th-century Europe. Traditionally, historians of science have defined science sufficiently broadly to include those earlier inquiries.
From the 18th century through late 20th century, the history of science, especially of the physical and biological sciences, was often presented in a progressive narrative in which true theories replaced false beliefs. Some more recent historical interpretations, such as those of Thomas Kuhn, tend to portray the history of science in different terms, such as that of competing paradigms or conceptual systems in a wider matrix that includes intellectual, cultural, economic and political themes outside of science.

The History Portal

The History Portal

 

History (from Greek ἱστορία, historia, meaning "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation") is the study of the past as it is described in written documents. Events occurring before written record are considered prehistory. It is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about these events. Scholars who write about history are called historians.
History can also refer to the academic discipline which uses a narrative to examine and analyse a sequence of past events, and objectively determine the patterns of cause and effect that determine them. Historians sometimes debate the nature of history and its usefulness by discussing the study of the discipline as an end in itself and as a way of providing "perspective" on the problems of the present.
Stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources (such as the tales surrounding King Arthur), are usually classified as cultural heritage or legends, because they do not show the "disinterested investigation" required of the discipline of history. Herodotus, a 5th-century BC Greek historian is considered within the Western tradition to be the "father of history", and, along with his contemporary Thucydides, helped form the foundations for the modern study of human history. Their works continue to be read today, and the gap between the culture-focused Herodotus and the military-focused Thucydides remains a point of contention or approach in modern historical writing. In Asia, a state chronicle, the Spring and Autumn Annals was known to be compiled from as early as 722 BC although only 2nd-century BC texts survived.
Ancient influences have helped spawn variant interpretations of the nature of history which have evolved over the centuries and continue to change today. The modern study of history is wide-ranging, and includes the study of specific regions and the study of certain topical or thematical elements of historical investigation. Often history is taught as part of primary and secondary education, and the academic study of history is a major discipline in university studies.

Independence Day (Bangladesh)

Independence Day

Once after the 1970 Pakistan Elections, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman linguistically and culturally of Bangla background, then head of the largest political party of Pakistan, the Awami League, had won with a clear majority, the Pakistan establishment was not willing to hand over power or be led by Mujib. Negotiations began, but Sheikh Mujib's reputation was such that the ruling Punjabi leadership never trusted him, let alone by the Pakistan established, no matter Mujib's efforts. When all indications gradually surfaced crystal clear, promises given were not followed through, the whole nation of Bangla speaking Muslims and Hindus of East Pakistan dived into the spirit and vibe of a real struggle. Mujib was still determined to keep Pakistan united under his legitimate and legal claim and did not commit the nation politically for independence neither called upon the masses with such an endeavor. He, however delivered an emotion loaded angry speech as response filled with warnings of a struggle for independence, displaying his strength of political control over society. Out in the streets the reaction was boiling as another fighting spirit with independence aspirations was inciting outright struggle with his fiery speeches to huge crowds around the nation, Maulana Bhasani. The crowd was furious as they were being ruled by another country and ultimately dsired protest, the protest caused lives to die as well. The West pakistan arrested Mujibur for inspiring benglai people with the furious quote to resemble anger.Initially the Pakistan authorities called curfews, paved way for huge influx of military hardware and personnel from western Pakistan by sea and air. Pakistan authorities also blocked supplies going to the general population. Killings and destruction of property was on a climatic rise around the main port cities of Khulna and Chittagong and other important economic points of trade and education. Police and the military units were deployed in numerous areas of the country. Pakistan Urdu and Punjabi speaking personnel rounded up Bangla speaking armed forces officers, nco's and enlisted personnel. Forced disappearances went rampant. On the 25th of March evening in an interview with David Frost, Sheikh Mujib still called out openly for negotiation and a united Pakistan. That night the Pakistan army spilled out to the streets killing and destroying everything on sight. It was official, they were not ready for a peaceful transfer of political power to the Awami League led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. During the early hours of 26th March 1971 the independence of Bangladesh was declared by Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the guerilla struggle officially began. The people of then independence declared Bangladesh took part in this war to be a separate nation independent from Pakistan. Independence for Bangladesh was gained through a nine-month guerilla war against the Pakistan Army, and their collaborators (commonly known as Razakars in Bangla রাজাকার) which resulted in the loss of about 3 million lives. The Bangladesh Forces, later with military support from India, defeated the Pakistan Army ending the war on 16 December in the same year.

Cyclone In Bangladesh

Cyclone In  Bangladesh

Cyclone a tropical storm or atmospheric turbulence involving circular motion of winds, occurs in Bangladesh as a natural hazard. The tropics can be regarded as the region lying between 30'N latitude and 30'S latitude. All the tropical seas of the earth with the exception of the south Atlantic and southeast Pacific give birth to deadly atmospheric phenomena known as tropical cyclones. On an average, 80 tropical cyclones are formed every year all over the globe.

Cyclone

The term cyclone is derived from the Greek word 'kyklos' meaning coil of snakes. The British-Indian scientist and meteorologist henry piddington coined the word 'Cyclone' to represent whirling storms expressing sufficiently the tendency to circular motion in his book The Sailor's Horn-book for the Law of Storms, published in 1848. Other meteorologists of the world immediately accepted the term and it is still current today. Satellite pictures of cyclones show that the nomenclature is very appropriate. Technically a cyclone is an area of low pressure where strong winds blow around a centre in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. Cyclones occurring in the tropical regions are called tropical cyclones and those occurring elsewhere are called extratropical cyclones.

Tropical cyclones are usually destructive and affect Bangladesh and its adjoining areas. Tropical storms are called hurricanes in the American continent, typhoons in the Far East and cyclones in the South Asian subcontinent. In the West, hurricanes are identified with human names such as Mitchel, Andrew, Carol, Dorothy and Eve. In the South Asian region no such nomenclature is in use. The term 'cyclone' is at times applied to a mid-latitude depression but is now increasingly restricted to a tropical depression of the hurricane type, especially when it occurs in the indian ocean. A cyclone is called Tufan in Bangla, from the Chinese 'Tai-fun'.

Bangladesh is part of the humid tropics, with the himalayas on the north and the funnel-shaped coast touching the bay of bengal on the south. This peculiar geography of Bangladesh brings not only the life-giving monsoons but also catastrophic cyclones, nor'westers, tornadoes and floods. The Bay of Bengal is an ideal breeding ground for tropical cyclones. Cyclones are usually formed in the deep seas and hence their study has been very difficult. It is only with the advent of the Space age that weather satellites have provided valuable information about them. Direct studies of cyclones with aircraft reconnaissance are also being carried out by advanced countries. However, only a beginning has been made in Bangladesh towards the understanding of cyclones.