Talk: Pliny the Elder

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A translation of the Latin phrases would be nice for those that do not read Latin....

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Pliny the Elder was not a scientist, the concept of experimentation did not occur until the 17th century with Roger Bacon and Robert Boyle. A scientist maybe described as a person who goes about testing hypothesis by weighing evidence and/or results of experiments, thus increasing our knowledge about the world. Most importantly, science is the continuous exploration for the truth. It is said that the ancients delayed the enlightenment because they were given too much respect, their knowledge was static (See Richard Feynman on the meaning of science). Pliny the Elder was a naturalist, what he said in Naturalis Historia was brilliant general knowledge.