- Knowledge is based on reflected, processed information.
- Information is gathered data and provides meaning and relevance to data.
- Data is raw, unprocessed facts and figures.
- Now, to get from cave paintings to AI, humans had to develop a way to conserve data, information and knowledge - each step, each item through time.
- to conserve knowledge, information and data, for the past 32.000 years humans used:
- stone
- clay
- leather
- Papurus
- paper
- book
- computer
| BCE | milestone |
|---|---|
| 30,000 | cave paintings (Chauvet Cave in France) |
| 10.000 | Petroglyphs - carvings into a rock surface |
| ~9.500 | Göbekli Tepe |
| 9000 | Pictograms - a symbol representing a concept, object, activity, place or event by illustration |
| 5,260 | Dispilio Tablet, Macedonia - ealiest evidence of writing - cryptic inscription that dates back to before 5,000 BC - while ancient eastern civilizations would use ideograms, ancient Greeks were using syllables in a similar manner like we use today. |
| 5000-3500 | - earliest evidence of wheels in Mesopotania - cuneiform (Sumerians, include some pictographic elements, consists of abstract signs representing syllables, words, or sounds) |
| 3000 | - Papyrus - Sumerians developed writing and began keeping records. - first deciphered numeral system is that of the Egyptian numerals, a sign-value system (as opposed to a place-value system) |
| 2500 | - Ideograms - graphical symbols that represent an idea - Royal Archives of Ebla (library) |
| 2600 | - oldest attested evidence for the existence of units of weight, and weighing scales date to the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, with Deben (unit) balance weights, excavated from the reign of Sneferu |
| 2100 | - Epic of Gilgamesh - The concept of area is first recognized in Babylonian clay tablets, and 3-dimensional volume is discussed in an Egyptian papyrus. This begins the study of geometry. |
| 1550 | 1st math book (Rhind Mathematical Papyrus) includes: - arithmetic, geometry, algebraic equations, fractions, and proportions |
| 700 | Earliest Greek inscriptions using modified alphabet data adopted from the Phoenician alphabet |
| 690 | Library of Ashurbanipal, Mesopotamia Library of Nineveh (668-627 BC) with Irving Finkel - owned by the king for the king only inherited from his father; to perserve knowledge and to use its power to keep the kingdom; governed by knowledge - Gilgamesh story (which includes the big flood and the arch) - Ark Before Noah with Irving Finkel - cuneiform writing - the Babylonian writing system didn’t survive, but the knowledge went from cuneic form to alphabetic form (from Babylon to the Greeks), example 360 degrees |
| 586 | Process of canonization of the Bible likely began during the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE) |
| 360-270 | Pyrrho of Elis: Impossibility of Certain Knowledge: Pyrrhonian skeptics argued that we cannot attain absolute, certain knowledge about the world. |
| 350 | Aristotle’s “Posterior Analytics,” Aristotle’s Organon - introduces the concept of demonstration (apodeixis) as a method for acquiring scientific knowledge based on logical inference from first principles (axioms) and necessary truths, the structure of syllogistic reasoning and the criteria for valid scientific inference - laying the groundwork for later developments in logic and epistemology. - later translated in Cordoba during the Muslim rule and re-appears with Francis Bacon 1600 AD |
| 300 | Euclid - The Elements (Greek: Στοιχεῖα Stoikheîa) - a mathematical treatise consisting of 13 books - BOOK I Triangles, parallels, and area - BOOK II Geometric algebra - BOOK III Circles - BOOK IV Constructions for inscribed and circumscribed figures - BOOK V Theory of proportions - translated in Cordoba during the Muslim rule |
| 285-246 | Library of Alexandria - Ptolemy II Philadelphus - mainly scrolls and books |
| 260 | Aristarchus of Samos proposes a basic heliocentric model of the universe |
| 131 | first newspaper (“Acta Diurna”, during the time of Julius Caesar) |
- image of the population within the Roman Empire
| AD | milestone |
|---|---|
| 150 | Ptolemy’s Geography - map is based on earlier sources, - includes the writings of ancient Greek and Roman geographers, as well as firsthand accounts from travelers and explorers. - Magellan used it. |
| 224 | invention of zero by Aryabhata (Bakhshali Manuscript) written on birch bark (might have come from Babylon (350BCE)) - Musa al-Khwarizmi (~820) Persian mathematicians - Robert of Chester translates it to Latin (1144) - Fibonacci popularizes the concept (The Book of Calculation, 1202) |
| 476 | last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus |
| 477 - 524 | first Italian School book: Trivium by Boethius - used in medieval schools as framework for education during the Carolingian Renaissance. - The “Trivium” consisted of three subjects: - grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic (logic) |
| 5th - 10th century | Dark Ages - no library of any kind in Europe - decline of centralized authority, - the fragmentation of political power, - frequent invasions and migrations by various peoples (Germanic tribes, the Huns, and the Vikings), - collapse of long-distance trade networks, - the decline of urban centers, - the loss of classical learning |
| 711 - 1492 | Muslim rule of Spain - cities with libraries: Cordoba, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Almeria, Malaga |
| date | milestone |
|---|---|
| 1040 | first library in Czech - Strahov Monastery Library, Prague |
| 1088 | first University in the Western world: - University of Bologna in northern Italy - specialized in legal studies (development of Roman law and canon law),theology, medicine, philosophy, and the liberal arts |
| 1096 - 1291 | The Crusades |
| 1134 | first University in Spain - University of Salamanca - specialized in theology, philosophy, and law |
| 1154 | first printed map - technique of copperplate engraving is the “Tabula Rogeriana,” - created by the Andalusian cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi; - commissioned by King Roger II of Sicily; - incorporated knowledge from various sources, including Arab, Greek, and Roman geographers |
| 1170 | first Highschool in France - Collège des Dix-Huit |
| 1246 | first Highschool in Sweden - Uppsala Cathedral School |
| 1248 | first University in England - University of Oxford - specialized in theology, philosophy, and science study |
| 1257 | first University in France - Sarbonne |
| 1286 | first German schoolbook - (“Catholicon,” by Johannes Balbi) |
| 1321 | Portolan Charts/map by Pietro Vesconte, - Magellan used it |
| 1339 | Portolan Charts/map by Angelino Dulcert, - Magellan used it |
| 1347-1351 | The Black Death - in some places, it’s believed that up to 60% of the population perished due to the disease. |
| 1348 | first University in Czech - Charles University (Universitas Carolina) in Prague - Founded by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV |
| 1386 | first University in Germany - University of Heidelberg |
| 1389 | first Highschool in Holland - Stedelijk Gymnasium Haarlem |
| 1450 | first English Schoolbook (hornbook) |
| 1450 | Gutenberg invents printing - knowledge becomes available, affordable for the masses |
| 1453 | The Ottoman Empire, under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, captured Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) from the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) |
| 1480 | first German printed school book - “Der Ackermann aus Böhmen”(The Ploughman from Bohemia) - by Albrecht Pfister |
| 1465 | first book printed in Italy - “Epistolae” (Letters) by Cicero - produced by the German printer Conrad Sweynheym and the Italian printer Arnold Pannartz |
| 1472 | first book printed in Spain - (“Sinodal de Aguilafuente”) - topics related to religious and moral conduct |
| 1473 | first book printed in France - “Recueil des histoires de Troye” (Collection of the Histories of Troy), printed by the printer and publisher Guillaume Le Roy |
| 1474 | first book printed in England - “The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye”” (Collection of the Histories of Troy) - William Caxton, a merchant, diplomat, and printer, produced the book in Bruges, Belgium |
| 1476 | first book printed in Greece - “Grammar of the Greek Language.”(Γραμματική της Ελληνικής Γλώσσης) |
| 1480 | first English printed school book - “The Accidence,” - William Caxton, Westminster |
| 1487 | first book banned by the Pope - Innocent VIII prohibits the 900 theses of Pico della Mirandola in his bull Etsi ex injuncto. |
| 1499 | first printed Greek dictionary - “Lexicon Graecolatinum,” (“Λεξικόν Ελληνολατινικόν”) |
| date | milestone |
|---|---|
| 1492-1504 | Christopher Columbus made his voyages across the Atlantic Ocean |
| 1500 | Map of Juan de la Cosa; the only known cartographic work made by an eyewitness of the first voyages of Christopher Columbus. - Magellan used it. |
| 1507 | first map, printed or manuscript (One map on 12 sheets, made from original woodcut), to depict clearly a separate Western Hemisphere, with the Pacific as a separate ocean. - by Martin Waldseemüller - map represented a huge leap forward in knowledge, recognizing the newly found American landmass and forever changing the European understanding of a world divided into only three parts—Europe, Asia, and Africa - data gathered during Amerigo Vespucci’s voyages of 1501–1502 to the New World. - Magellan used it |
| 1517 | Martin Luther nailes his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany |
| 1519 | Magellan left Spain (maps used: Portolan Charts, Ptolemy’s Geography, Nautical Almanacs, Cartographic Knowledge of the Day by Martin Waldseemüller, Juan de la Cosa) |
| 1528 | first Highschool in Germany - Fürstenschule St. Afra (St. Afra’s Princely School) |
| 1552 | first Highschool in England - King Edward VI Grammar School |
| 1556 | first Italian printed news paper established (“Notizie scritte,”) |
| 1560 | first wooden pencil by Italian couple Simonio and Lyndiana Bernacotti |
| 1564 | graphite from the roman writing instrument called the stylus (Pencil by Konrad Gessner) |
| 1572 | first library in Germany - Ducal Library of Wolfenbüttel by the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| ~1590 | first microscope by Dutch spectacle maker Zacharias Janssen |
| 1597 | Sir Francis Bacon: - “knowledge itself is power” - “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.” |
| 1604 | first English dictionary (A Table Alphabeticall by Robert Cawdrey) |
| 1605 | first on a regular basis printed newspaper (Johann Carolus, who published the “Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien” (Account of all Distinguished and Commemorable News) in Germany) |
| 1608 | telescope invented by Hans Lippershey, Netherlands |
| 1609 | first telescope in Spain (Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, a mathematician and philosopher); Galileo heard of it the same year |
| 1618 - 1648 | Thirty Years’ War |
| 1621 | first English printed news paper established (“Corante,” ) |
| 1631 | first French printed newspaper established (“La Gazette,” ) |
| 1635 | first French printed dictionary (“Dictionnaire de l’Académie française”) by Cardinal Richelieu |
| 1635 | first Highschool in the US - Boston Latin School (preparatory school for students intending to enter Harvard College ) |
| 1643 | Barometer (by Evangelista Torricelli ) |
| 1668 | Isaac Newton small flat diagonal mirror to reflect the light to an eyepiece mounted on the side of the telescope |
| 1669 | first Highschool in Ireland - The King’s Hospital (Dublin) |
| 1696 | law for mandatory education in England |
| 1698 | first practical steam engine by Thomas Slavery |
| 1717 | law for mandatory education in Germany by Frederick William I |
| 1725 | first annual almanac (“The Astronomical Diary and Almanac.” in Boston) |
| 1732 - 1758 | Benjamin Franklin printed Poor Richard’s Almanack |
| 1734 | first German dictionary (Glossarium Germanicum) |
| 1739 | first printed German almanac (Der Hoch-Deutsch Amerikanische Calender) |
| 1779 | Samuel Crompton invents the spinning mule - protoypye of the Factory System |
| 1791 | law for mandatory education in France - “Gall-Pestalozzi Law.” |
| 1821 | first printed newspaper in Greece - “Ἐφημερίς” (Efimeris) |
| 1836 | Electrical Telegraph |
| 1837 | first University in Greece - University of Athens |
| 1857 | law for mandatory education in Spain - “Moyano Law” |
| 1859 | law for mandatory education in Italy - “Casati Law” |
| 1861 | first Italian dictionary (Dizionario della Lingua Italiana) |
| 1868 | - first typewriter (by Americans Christopher Latham Sholes, Frank Haven Hall, Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soule) - The World Almanac and Encyclopedia” and “The World Almanac and Book of Facts”. by the New York World newspaper |
| 1876 | Telephone |
| 1905 | first intelligence test (Binet-Simon Scale) |
| 1911 | law for mandatory education in Greece - “Gounaris Law” |
| 1917 | first IQ test used in the military - Army Alpha: personnel selection and placement during World War I |
| 1958 | first microchip by engineer Jack Kilby |
| 1973 | first usable truly portable mobile telephone (Martin Cooper) |
| 1983 | first commercially available cell phone (Motorola DynaTAC 8000X) |
| 1992 | Text Messaging |
Comment/observation
- when examining this data, the trajectory of AI’s future development appears less speculative.