India to introduce courses claiming gravity and Airplane are Indian discoveries

https://theprint.in/governance/in-engineering-courses-soon-wright-brothers-didnt-invent-plane-batteries-existed-in-vedic-age/124540/

by pankajdoharey • 8 years ago

1 2 8 years ago

theprint.in

JPLeRouzic• 8 years ago

There are much controversies [0] about who was the first to invent and who used a powered, "heavier than air" aircraft.

The first to invent may not be the first to use, and not all aircraft are powered, even Wright brothers used a catapult several years after their "first" flight. And having the possibility to steer the aircraft is yet another modality that was missing in the Wright brother 17 December 1903 flight.

In retrospective how that catapult thing was so much a novelty when Robert Hooke in 1655 made a spring-powered ornithopter model which was apparently able to fly?

And indeed George Cayley should never be forgotten [1]. In 1799, he set forth the concept of the modern aeroplane as a fixed-wing flying machine with separate systems for lift, propulsion, and control.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claims_to_the_first_powered_fl...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Cayley

aq3cn• 8 years ago

I am not sure about airplane, but I have references for discovery gravitational laws in India. These are non-Indian references, so I suppose my point of view will be respected.

Given India school of mathematics already was advanced in trigonometry, calculus & astronomy according to following references:

+ Prior to discovery of infinite series and calculus by Newton and Leibniz, the Kerala School of Mathematics had already developed calculus and some historians suggest that this and advanced astronomical knowledge from Kerala went abroad via the Jesuits and provided the spark for its further development in Europe.

sources:

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=131...

https://press.princeton.edu/titles/9308.html

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/restoring-indias-calcul...

+ It is very much possbile for Indians to have independently discover law of gravitation. Following paper establishes that Indians knew about Newton 'discovery' by 250 years.

source:

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/indians-predated-...

+ Rig Veda is credited for contribution in value of Pi

source:

https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/vedic_science/value-pi-upt...

I cannot discount usage/knowledge of Airplane, battery, magnet, electricity, in India, unless it is firmly established they didnt had the technology. I choose to maintain status quo.

India to introduce courses claiming gravity and Airplane are Indian discoveries

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