Ancient ruins of empires along the Silk Roads with caravans of traders carrying goods, maps, and artifacts, set against rugged landscapes with historic architecture.

The Silk Roads: the Rise and Fall of Empires

by History

⚫The rise of the Roman and Han Empires facilitated extensive cultural and economic exchanges along the Silk Roads.
⚫The Pax Mongolica under the Mongol Empire led to a significant increase in trade and cultural interactions across Eurasia.
⚫Alexander the Great’s conquests merged Greek and Eastern cultures, enhancing cultural diffusion along the Silk Roads.
⚫The fall of empires often led to periods of instability, disrupting trade and diminishing economic activities along the Silk Roads.
⚫The Persian Empire’s infrastructure, like the Royal Road, significantly improved connectivity and trade efficiency across its territories.

Nicolaus Copernicus portrait from Town Hall in Toruń - 1580, District Museum in Toruń, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Copernicus to Newton: Galactic Science Breakthrough

by HistoryHistory of Western philosophyPhilosophy

⚫ Copernicus’s Heliocentric Model provided the catalyst for the age of Renaissance. ⚫The theory placed the Sun, not the Earth, at the centre of our solar system, challenging centuries of Aristotelian thought. ⚫This in turns provided significant contributions to astronomy, including the eccentric computational astronomy and celestial mechanics, setting the stage for future scientific advancements. ⚫Copernicus’s ideas inspired subsequent luminaries like Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Sir Isaac Newton, each building upon his heliocentric theory in their respective fields.