Modern Understanding of Plants and Animals
Plants were used as medicine, and combined into three groups (trees, shrubs, and herbs) by Aristotle, a Greek philosopher. Greek doctors often used plants- especially herbs- for medical treatments and medicine. Madagascar Periwinkle was used to heal damaged skin, like Aloe Vera on sunburn. Aristotle also separated animals into two groups; vertebrates and invertebrates. We use many of the things Greeks discovered in our life today, in regards to plants and animals. Aristotle was extremely helpful because scientists still classify plants as trees, herbs, and shrubs, including many others. We also use plants as medicines and treatments. Scientists still distinguish animals as vertebrates and invertebrates. The Greeks influenced life today in the twenty-first century.
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Astronomy
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One of the biggest contributions from Ancient Greece is the information they learned about astronomy. This important information is a huge part of our daily lives, and continues to affect us today. The Ancient Greeks first believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, until one Greek scientist named Aristarchus stated otherwise. Aristarchus said that the sun was actually the center of the universe, and the Earth revolved around the sun (not vice versa). The Greeks were very mad at Aristarchus for going against what they believed, but today we know that Aristarchus was actually correct. Another Greek scientist, Hipparchus, figured out how to measure the distance from the Earth to the Sun and the Earth to the Moon. Hipparchus also found and named 850 stars. The Greeks discovered how to predict eclipses, and they learned more about the moon cycle. All of this information is still used today for research and organizations, like NASA. Without Greece discovering this information, who knows what we would think about our solar system?
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