How much human knowledge has been lost?

In our estimate the equivalent of 34,524.8GB of information created by humans that we can quantify within reasonable certainty has been destroyed throughout our history.

How much history do we know?

The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script, with the oldest coherent texts from about 2600 BC.

What knowledge was lost in the Dark Ages?

Today experts estimate that 90\% of Greek and Roman knowledge was lost forever during the Dark Ages. The Greek and Roman knowledge we have today comes from a few libraries in Syria and Turkey that were never looted by invaders. By Ad 700 possibly one person in 100 or less could read and write in western Europe.

How is knowledge lost?

Knowledge can be lost: manuscripts are burned, oral learning dies with its bearers, new ideas are suppressed by censors.

What happened before recorded history?

Scholars define prehistory as events that occurred before the existence of written records in a given culture or society. History refers to the time period after the invention of written records in a given culture or society.

Why was so much information lost in the Middle Ages?

Only a small fraction of the writings created in the Middle Ages have survived to the present day. Throughout the medieval period manuscripts would be destroyed or recycled, and in more recent centuries this process only worsened as fires, theft and neglect led to more losses.

Can knowledge be lost?

We lose knowledge when researchers design studies without first knowing about previous research into the question. If knowledge is lost, the foundation for research is lost as well. Future investigators might spend time and resources reinventing the wheel.

What is the worst thing that ever happened to mankind?

But the worst blow to mankind’s history was the burning of the Library of Alexandria in the Egyptian campaign of Julius Caesar; during which 700,000 priceless scrolls were irretrievably lost. The Bruchion contained 400,000 books and the Serapeum 300,000.

Is modern science rediscovering old ideas?

Modern science has only rediscovered and perfected old ideas, it has demonstrated that the world was much older, vaster, and globalized than was thought only a few generations before. The Ancient Civilizations that Came Before: Self-Eradication, Or Natural Cataclysm? – Part I

How did science emerge from Medieval Darkness?

Modern science emerged from the medieval darkness during the renaissance. By studying classical sources humanity re-discovered old-truths that had been known by the Babylonians, Ionians, Egyptians, Hindus, or Greeks for many centuries.

What is the history of Science in the past?

Our distant past is a vacuum filled with random tablets, parchments, statues, paintings and various artifacts. The history of science would appear totally different were the collection of books of Alexandria intact today. Heron, an Alexandrian engineer, built a steam engine which embodied the principle of both the turbine and jet propulsion.