How science survived: medieval manuscripts' "demography" and classic texts' extinction.

Science

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

Published: February 2005

Determining what fraction of texts and manuscripts have survived from Antiquity and the Middle Ages has been highly problematic. Analyzing the transmission of texts as the "paleodemography" of their manuscripts yields definite and surprisingly high estimates. Parchment copies of the foremost medieval textbooks on arithmetical and calendrical calculation closely fit age distributions expected for populations with logistic growth and manuscripts with exponential survivorship. The estimated half-lives of copies agree with Bischoff's paleographically based suggestion that roughly one in seven manuscripts survive in some form from ninth-century Carolingian workshops. On this basis, many if not most of the leading technical titles circulating in Latin probably survived, even from late Antiquity.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1104718DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

science survived
4
survived medieval
4
medieval manuscripts'
4
manuscripts' "demography"
4
"demography" classic
4
classic texts'
4
texts' extinction
4
extinction determining
4
determining fraction
4
fraction texts
4

Similar Publications

Purpose: Locally advanced colorectal tumors frequently invade adjacent organs, particularly the urinary bladder in the sigmoid colon and upper rectum, complicating multivisceral resections. This study compared postoperative outcomes of partial cystectomy (PC) and total cystectomy (TC) in patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Central Register of Clinical Trials, and Web of Science for studies published up to November 2024.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Long-term epidemiological trends in (primary) pediatric central nervous system tumors: a 25-year cohort analysis in Western Mexico.

Childs Nerv Syst

January 2025

Ph.D. Human Genetics Program, Molecular Biology and Genomics Department, Human Genetics Institute "Dr. Enrique Corona-Rivera", University Center of Health Sciences, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.

Background: Central nervous system tumors (CNSTs) represent a significant oncological challenge in pediatric populations, particularly in developing regions where access to diagnostic and therapeutic resources is limited.

Methods: This research investigates the epidemiology, histological classifications, and survival outcomes of CNST in a cohort of pediatric patients aged 0 to 19 years within a 25-year retrospective study at the Civil Hospital of Guadalajara, Mexico, from 1999 to 2024.

Results: Data was analyzed from 273 patients who met inclusion criteria, revealing a higher incidence in males (51.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Influence of Ageing on the Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics of Chronically Administered Medicines in Geriatric Patients: A Review.

Clin Pharmacokinet

January 2025

Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

As people age, the efficiency of various regulatory processes that ensure proper communication between cells and organs tends to decline. This deterioration can lead to difficulties in maintaining homeostasis during physiological stress. This includes but is not limited to cognitive impairments, functional difficulties, and issues related to caregivers which contribute significantly to medication errors and non-adherence.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Extracellular vesicles: essential agents in critical bone defect repair and therapeutic enhancement.

Mol Biol Rep

January 2025

Pediatric Cell, and Gene Therapy Research Center Gene, Cell and Tissue Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Bone serves as a fundamental structural component in the body, playing pivotal roles in support, protection, mineral supply, and hormonal regulation. However, critical-sized bone injuries have become increasingly prevalent, necessitating extensive medical interventions due to limitations in the body's capacity for self-repair. Traditional approaches, such as autografts, allografts, and xenografts, have yielded unsatisfactory results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

High cadmium (Cd) concentrations pose a threat to aquatic life globally. This study examined the efficiency of adding purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) leaf powder (PLP) to Oreochromis niloticus diets on Cd's negative effects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!