History of Science & Technology Q&A (March 8, 2023)

Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the history of science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa

Questions include: Please discuss the history of graph theory and network theory. What was the role of computation? - So graph theory evolved as a theory after practice, like thermodynamics and the steam engine? - Graphs as knowledge representation were popular in AI the late 60s, and more formally in theoretical CS a decade later. - ​Was it a big effort to integrate graphs in Wolfram Language? Is it missing some part of the recent developments? - Has anyone formulated Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory in terms of graph theory? - At what point in history did mathematics reach a level where a single individual could no longer learn all "known knowledge" at that time within their lifetime? - It seems too often amazing discoveries go years without being picked up by a particular community. - If Aristotle were alive today, how might he describe modern technology? How would one explain modern technology to someone from Aristotle's time? - Would you say the words "soul" or "spirit" were used in the past in much the same way we use the term "software" today? - Why would cellphones be inconceivable? They work the same way speech does. The only difference is that the ancients didn't know about the electromagnetic field. - In your own experience, have there been any major changes to a field of study that changed the way one would view a certain topic? I remember being in school studying astronomy when Pluto was declared to no longer be a planet and my professor's lesson plan had to adapt in an instant. - I like pondering what Professor Einstein may have been able to do with Wolfram|Alpha.