This traditional definition is broad enough to compass the study as it is known by most people. Notice how it states that history is a “chronological record” and how “events” are emphasized in each sub-definition. Assuming this, history is grounded in the arrangement and explanation of events in the order in which they occur; that is chronology at its root. At its best, timelines can make excellent visual aids. At its worst, history becomes a field of study that one must endure endless memorization of places, figures, and dates.
History isn’t all memorization; the fact that Webster’s definition mentions “an explanation of their [the events] causes” shows that there are additional levels such as comprehension and analysis. However, there remains the problem of comprehending the scale of history, especially when given an arrangement of events on a timeline. For instance, one person’s decision to measure a year or a century as ten centimeters on a line is certainly not another’s.
One established method transcending the nature of a timeline is to look at the "big picture.” By this method, we no longer have to measure history, but think of history as a fluid process in which events and trends are inextricably intertwined. A variety of historical elements can be analyzed at this level, but all relate to the history as a whole. The author Jared Diamond, in his book Guns, Germs, and Steel, stressed that geography determined the destinies of civilizations and the history as a whole. Diamond's analysis of history drew interconnected webs rather than a linear timeline. It is with this third-dimensional perspective that we can reach the upper level of historical studies.
To simplify the perception of history even further, we must investigate the perception of time itself, because at its core, history is made of time. There are number of theories and other viewpoints on how to deal with the idea of time. The conclusions that can be drawn from the study of time can allow us to approach history on a scientific basis. That is why we’ve chosen to investigate “the science of history.”
Considering what we can learn about time, we can make several conclusions about the perception of history.
The history that we study is not limited to human history, but is extends to time in general, which is restricted only by the age of the universe. History can be graphed on a timeline, but that kind of visualization can only go as far as the mind's perception of it. If you say that the distance between 2000 B.C.E. and the present is a distance of 20 centimeters on a timeline, that is your decision to perceive history in the length.
By using a specifically scientific perspective, it is possible to see history as a dynamic, relative process in which one small force can affect an entire system. A metaphor for this is a drop of sand in an hourglass can precipitate an entire web of fluidly related events. One popular explanation for such a process is the chaos theory, which states that long term changes in a dynamic linear system are sensitive to small initial actions and differences.
A historical example of this would be the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 by Serbian rebels. Austria-Hungary subsequently declared war on Serbia, and one by one most of the major European powers joined two warring alliances, beginning World War One. Indeed, this is a chain of events, but beyond the surface, the assassination sparked a web of events rooted both in the past and the present that had yet to come.
This graphic doesn't show the whole story. We can easily say that a web of events should be three dimensional. If the conventional view of time is inaccurate, and history is based on our perception of spacetime, then we can no longer describe history as simply a series of "cause and effect" events. History in this sense is related to how time works in a physical sense. This is the science of history.
Going back to the graphic, we can add the fourth dimension to account for the relatively of time. As you can see, the arrows of the web are depicted differently this time. This is to show that perception of events and thus history in general is relative.
Going back to the graphic, we can add the fourth dimension to account for the relatively of time. As you can see, the arrows of the web are depicted differently this time. This is to show that perception of events and thus history in general is relative.
Two events a millennium apart can be perceived as right next to each other, and two other events a day apart can be thought as centuries away from each other. We can perceive that the fall of the Roman Empire, which fragmented Europe and eventually led to the rise of nation-states caused Adolf Hitler to take the reins of the German nation, while keeping all the events and processes in between in the background. In addition, the bursting of the internet bubble and President Bill Clinton's Lewinsky scandal occurred within the same few year, but we can perceive them as connected only through a point thousands of years in the past, from which the trends and processes that respectively caused them diverged.
History may be the study of the past, but the study itself changes just like any other . There are always new methods of perceiving, just as we have been describing right here. The perception of history as a science may seem odd, but so are other new ideas that have appeared in the field. After all, we can all change our perceptions of spacetime, and suddenly seeing history as a science makes a lot more sense.
LIFE
Is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have self-sustaining biological processes from those that do not either because such functions have ceased (death), or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate.
LOVE
•A strong positive emotion of regard and affection; "his love for his work"; "children need a lot of love"
•Any object of warm affection or devotion; "the theater was her first love"; "he has a passion for cock fighting";
•Have a great affection or liking for; "I love French food"; "She loves her boss and works hard for him"
•Beloved: a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
•Get pleasure from; "I love cooking"
•A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction; "their love left them indifferent to their surroundings"; "she was his first love"
•Be enamored or in love with; "She loves her husband deeply"
•Ascore of zero in tennis or squash; "it was 40 love"
•Sleep together: have sexual intercourse with; "This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm"; "Adam knew Eve"; "Were you ever intimate with this man?"
•Sexual love: sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people; "his lovemaking disgusted her"; "he hadn't had any love in months"; "he has a very complicated love life"
