What makes Science possible? Science is like a plant that needs the right conditions to blossom.

From Cyril Aydon's book Scientific Curiosity (pg 43) he asks What makes Science possible?

Greek science was unique in the ancient world. The Chinese had great technology (ships, roads, paper, printing) but comparably little progress in science. Only until the agricultural and industrial revolutions in early modern Europe would technology be on a par with Chinese technology.

Whilst the Romans had great technology (roads, steam baths, bridges) they gave next to nothing in the way of scientific advance. Nor did any of the other great civilizations such as the Aztecs, contribute to science.

Science, as we understand it, has only happened twice in the history of the world. Between the twilight of the Greek world (c.250BC with Archimedes & Eratosthenes) to the dawn of the modern scientific age in the 16th and 17th Centuries in Europe, there was an interval of 1500 years during which little was added to scientific knowledge. Why should this be?

For science to develop it needs the right conditions.

• The Economy: a lot of people have to be rich enough to sit around, think and talk.
• The Culture: Must be open to new ideas. If it isn't - if for example, priests are powerful and want the status quo to continue or if society has an exaggerated respect for the past - then under these conditions new scientific thinking will be stifled.

Science is like a plant. It needs the right conditions to grow. It cannot grow in a wilderness or a darkened room. It grows best in towns & Universities nurtured by people with the means and leisure to nurture it. It needs light and air and a fertile soil to blossom - it needs technology to feed on. Science is the attempt to explain the forces of nature, technology is the exploitation of the forces of nature.

Printing press technology using movable type invented by Johannes Gutenberg ushered in modern science c1456.