[Reprint] “History of Science and Technology” Graduate Entrance Exam Questions (2009)

If I were to do these directly now, I’d almost certainly fail, but if I get the chance I’ll try to write out all of these questions~

Questions for the Master’s Entrance Examination in “History of Science and Technology” (2009-06-19 17:29:20)
The examination questions for the 2009 master’s entrance exam in the “History of Science and Technology” subject for the History of Science and Technology program and the Philosophy of Science and Technology program at Peking University are published below, for reference in candidates’ exam preparation. Young people with aspirations are warmly welcome to apply to Peking University’s program in the history of science and technology or philosophy of science and technology.
I. Short-answer questions (70 points, 5 points each)
1. What is the basic marker that distinguishes the Neolithic Age from the Paleolithic Age?
2. What basic functions did ancient astronomy have?
3. What is Plato’s “saving the phenomena”?
4. What reasons did Aristotle have for rejecting the vacuum?
5. What are Archimedes’ main scientific achievements?
6. Which dynasties did Bi Sheng and Zheng He belong to, respectively? What were their respective contributions to the history of science and technology?
7. What key technological innovations in medieval Europe enabled modern Europe to produce a highly developed scientific and technological civilization?
8. Why is it said that Copernicus’s great work should be translated as The Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres rather than The Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies?
9. What things unfavorable to the Aristotelian school did Galileo discover with the telescope?
10. List the five most important scientific instruments that appeared during the Scientific Revolution
11. Briefly explain the first and second laws of thermodynamics
12. What is social Darwinism?
13. What is the observational evidence for the theory of cosmic expansion and the Big Bang theory, respectively?
14. What is “Big Science”?
II. Essay questions (80 points, 20 points each)
1. Discuss the origins of Greek science
2. Discuss the basic characteristics of science and technology in ancient China
3. In light of modern Europe’s “Scientific Revolution,” discuss the relationship between science and religion
4. Discuss Ford’s significance in the history of technology and cultural history

Latest comments

• unic

  2009-06-21 23:56:47 Anonymous 115.155.143.90

  I happened to see this on Wu Lao’s blog yesterday……

Translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The original text is authoritative.