Full real life actions provide a sense of the physical world. Early materialist natural philosophers of Taoist China and Mediterranean Hellas find through experience all physical processes as well human affairs. The materials and movements of ancient world trade become masses and motions in the experiments of renaissance Galileo. Physical science really begins with the dynamical comprehension of all matter in the universe accomplished by Enlightenment Europe.
Physical science of matter and motion
From the atmosphere, water, earth and plants earliest cultures develop their material lives. Copper smelting 5000BCE by Negev alchemists introduces Southeast Europe to metals of the Bronze Age. Nile river silt and Saharan quartz sand make ceramics, glazes and glass in the hands of ancient Egyptian craftsmen. From the iron meteorite dagger of Tutankhamen to the forged steel of the Industrial Revolution chemistry provides materials for human lives.
Saharan quartz sand for glazes and glass
Sun, atmosphere, water, plants, animals and humans are the processes of life as we know it. In the ancient world it seems as if the affairs of civilisation have a momentum unique to our own species. That the sun is an immense power originating all life on earth and that the atmosphere sustains all living processes are not taken into account. The molecular activity of water known from the biochemistry of the 19th century to produce all plants and the evolutionary diversity of animals set a proper frame for human life sciences research.
Molecular biochemistry of the 19th century
Mercury has negligible atmosphere and surface solar particles glow. With dense high pressure atmosphere at hundreds of degrees it rains sulphuric acid on Venus. With earth and mars known it comes as a surprise that the atmosphere of gas giant Jupiter emits heat of the whole planet as it spins dynamic storms. Methane and ammonia ice giants Saturn, Uranus and Neptune may harbour moons with seas while the ringed planet’s moon Enceladus has geysers indicating an underground global ocean.
Jupiter’s moon Io with volcanos