Science during the Middle Ages
There was little scientific progress during the Middle Ages. Medieval thinking was deductive. That is, an idea was taken from an authority, usually the Bible, accepted as true, and used as a basis for reasoning. Classical writings, like those of Galen and Ptolemy, formed the basis of much medieval science.
There were some important technological advances, notably the invention of the plow, the windmill, the clock, and eyeglasses. However, there were no attempts to increase knowledge by observing nature more closely, and there were few significant advances in scientific theory. It was left to the Arabs to preserve the great accomplishments of Hellenistic science. Only two subjects received serious attention in the West: mathematics, which was abstract, and optics (the study of light), because God's influence was thought to be carried by light. In these subjects some important work was done, especially in the 1200's, 1300's, and 1400's. However, it was not until the following century that a major interest in science reappeared and led to vast changes in the understanding of the physical world.
