A Study On Hero 's "Aerodynamics"

Mechanics in ancient Greek sense is not on theory of the natural world, but focus on the construction and operation of machinery and other artifacts, in order to complete what nature itself can not be done, that is not to discuss the mechanics of natural movement, but to discuss unnatural motion, Therefore, the results of the various technologies used to produce or look it seems very strange paradox, which could be considered outside the scope of knowledge about the nature of physics, technology and the natural formation of the opposition, so that rational ancient Greeks are skeptical, and technology, and artificial nature under metaphysics. After Aristotle Greek mechanics divide into two directions, one more practice and technology, the other one more mathematics and theory. Subsequent Alexandria tradition is similarly divided into practical mechanics and rational mechanics, has maintained a necessary tension between the two. Hero of Alexandria(about AD 10- 70) is ancient Greece famous scientists and mechanical engineers, but also the history of the development of the Greek mechanics Alexandria traditional core figure. His major works is Pneumatics, Belopoeica, The Automatics and Mechanics. Pneumatics is a work which describes the theory of air and the associated pneumatic devices. This paper will focuses on the discussion of science and technology thought of Hero in Pneumatics mainly from five aspects:First, Hero incorporated the theory of air and pneumatic devices into a complete system of thought of science and technology, so as to achieve effective integration of theory and practice of mechanics in order to build a strong and independent mechanics picture as a form of knowledge.Second, Hero demonstrated perception by pneumatic devices and comparised philosopher abstract reasoning and mechanics demonstration based on the perception of things. He argued that mechanics demonstration based on the perception of things is superior to the philosophical argument, so that significance of technology was upgrading to a new level in the perspective of the philosophical.Third, Aristotle believed that practical knowledge is a low level of knowledge and despised practical technology. Hero as practical engineer practice opposed Aristotle and saved practical knowledge from the practitioners lower level of knowledge. He believes that mechanics not only includes practical utility, but also includes general mechanical expertise to solve theoretical problems, these factors give the theory a powerful force in the Middle Ages and the Modern era technology. In addition Hero by pneumatic devices shows two basic functions of technology, that meeting the necessities of life and making wonder.Fourth, Hero linked pneumatic devices with God trick, by means of a pneumatic devices or ritual re-interpretated of the fairy tale, and contributed the hidden mechanisms of pneumatic devices to God’s cunning intelligence. Contact between these pneumatic devices and myth is the core of his mechanics his presentation. This not only shows that the mechanical alternative to philosophy in order to gain knowledge about natural phenomena, and evokes a special power of practical knowledge, but also that the myth origin mechanics and practical technology, giving technology to sanctity, to improve the practical technical knowledge hierarchy position.Fifth, pneumatic devices through the dissemination of Pneumatics become a model of early modern landscape architecture, while void theory and particle theory has been received by modern scholars, and developed scientific air theory and atomic theory.