The study of history is extremely important. The modern world cannot be understood without knowing where it came from. Although God directs history, He uses people and their ideas to move it forward, which is why learning about influential figures of the past is a vital part of education. One of the greatest forces shaping the modern world is science and its language, mathematics. Studying the lives of major contributors in these fields is just as important as studying political leaders. John Hudson Tiner, an experienced educator in science and mathematics, has written well-crafted biographies for young readers about famous scientists and mathematicians who helped build true modern science. These biographies also give readers a clearer sense of what real science is and help them discern and avoid pseudoscience.
A good place to begin, especially for younger students, is with Champions of Mathematics and Champions of Invention, two collections of very short biographies. Mathematics has a rich history, and seeing its development through real people can deepen children’s appreciation of what they study in school. Inventors and scientists are not always the same—great scientists are not always great inventors and vice versa—but invention depends on scientific insight, making the history of invention part of the history of science. Samuel Morse: Artist with a Message is a longer biography that tells the story of the American inventor of telegraphy and Morse code and explains how his artistic skills supported his inventions.
Many of the greatest scientists and mathematicians before the twentieth century were people of deep Christian faith. Johannes Kepler: Giant of Faith and Science describes this brilliant German Lutheran scientist who developed the three laws of planetary motion using the meticulous astronomical observations of Tycho Brahe. Sir Isaac Newton, who invented calculus to explain Kepler’s laws through gravity, was both a groundbreaking mathematician and scientist. Tiner’s Isaac Newton: Inventor, Scientist, and Teacher explores these achievements as well as Newton’s extensive writings on Scripture and theology. Calculus remains foundational to all modern technology and engineering from the Industrial Revolution to today.
Robert Boyle: Trailblazer of Science presents the life of a key figure in the development of modern physics and chemistry. Boyle, a member of the Irish nobility, used his wealth to support scientific work and to promote Bible translation and missionary efforts. Louis Pasteur: Founder of Modern Medicine offers insight into the life and influence of Louis Pasteur, the French scientist whose discoveries on germs and infection prevention truly shaped modern medicine. Pasteur, too, was a man of strong faith.