Evolution of Science: Africa's Contribution

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Science they say, is a study and knowledge of the physical world and its behavior based on experiments and facts that can be proved, and is organized into a system. Through this concept, and the processes of observation and experimentation, man could be able to gain knowledge and above all understand the way the world is and how it functions on a daily basis and on rare occasions. Africans are quite the observers. In traditional African societies, it is indeed this original characteristic of Africans that is recognized as the primary source of the entire store of knowledge attained by the people. It is believed that through said observation and experience, knowledge about the world around us is born. But then this of knowledge is passed down from generation to generation to be practiced for which its benefits could be readily applied in certain situations.

The knowledge of science although helps to understand the ways of the world, it is also fully integrated as part of our traditional African values both consciously and unconsciously from the beginning of time before the Europeans arrived and settled in the coasts of Africa. During that time whatever practices they made in time had some scientific explanation associated with it even before education became the relative norm in Africa.

CHAPTER 2

Literature review

Over the years, science as a topic and other topics relating to this subject has become talked and discussed by many people including scientists, scholars and even philosophers. But then the main issue in this text is Africa’s contribution towards the evolution of science in this world.

Looking at physics which is a branch of science, the early Yoruba’s were able to put to practice several activities that had its associated scientific explanation. In their course of understanding the world, they interacted with their natural environment by correlating elements of nature to their gods. In a stormy weather, anyone outside...