Born in and lived around Miletus during the 6th century BC. History, science, engineering, geography and politics and philosopht were the subjects he was interested on. He was not interested on the figures but geometrical shapes. For this reason, he was accepted as the father of Geometry.

According to a legend, he predicted the solar solstice before the war between the Lydiand and Persians but today's scholars claim that he could not have guessed the exact place and time of such solstice during those times when there was not enough findings.

He tavels to Egypt just to see the famous pyramids, especially Ceops. When he was walking to the pyramid, an Egptian told his that there was not any way to measure the height of this structure. Next morning, when he was walking, he noticed that his shadow was following him and towards the noon time, he nailed a stick into the ground and waited for the time when the length of the stick was equal to its shadow which gave him a bright idea. Next day, he measured the height of the pyramid with its own shadow to be 147 meters/482 feet (Measured the base and dived that into 2: 67 Thales; the length of the shadow was 17 Thales summing up to 85 Thales = (Today's 147 meters/482 feet).

[Abridged and translated from an article 'Power of Shadows and Thales' by Nilüfer KARADAĞ in Bilim ve Teknik Magazine (Science and Technique dated August 2004, pp. 58-59) by K. Can Arman]