Post on 21-Jan-2016
THETHE
SCIENTIFIC SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION
EUROPE IN EUROPE IN THE 1500’sTHE 1500’s
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONESSENTIAL QUESTION
What were the What were the important important contributions of contributions of scientistsscientists like Copernicus, like Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton Kepler, Galileo, and Newton during the during the Scientific Scientific Revolution?Revolution?
The Scientific Revolution was a time period
(starting in the mid-1500s) in Europe where
new ways of thinking about the natural world
came about
The ideas of the ancient scientists (Greeks and
Romans) and of the Catholic Church were challenged by the new breed of scientists
in Europe
During this era of the Scientific Revolution, Europe experienced a time when new ideas in physics, astronomy, biology, and anatomy changed the
ways Europeans viewed the world
To prove these new ideas, the scientists
began using the “scientific method”,
which is a logical procedure for
gathering information and testing ideas
Before the 1500s, science was a mix of
ancient ideas and Church teachings; for
centuries, no one challenged these old
scientific beliefs
But the new ways of thinking in the 1500s
led to a more rational approach to science:
observation, experiments, and
scientific reasoning
Thinkers used logic and the
scientific method to find
answers to questions
Everything was questioned and
nothing was assumed to be
true; it had to be PROVEN true
A TIME OF GREAT CHANGE
It is because of the influences of the major movements in Europe during the 1500s that the
Scientific Revolution came about
The Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the Age of
Exploration all made the Scientific Revolution happen
REASONS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONThe Scientific Revolution began in the mid-1500s
because of recent discoveries in other areas
of European life During the Renaissance,
people began to question religious beliefs and
thought that humans could accomplish anything
This belief in the possibilities of human
achievement led to great leaps in science
Questioning religious beliefs led to people also questioning the Church’s long-held
scientific beliefs
The Protestant Reformation also had
an effect on the Scientific RevolutionBecause of the
Reformation, people questioned the
Catholic Church’s religious beliefs
REASONS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
REASONS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
The 1500s were also the time of Europe’s Age of Exploration
The discovery of lands previously
unknown to Europeans led
people to search for other “new” things,
such as new scientific ideas
Particularly, explorers were interested in better technology that would help them explore (such as ship-building, navigational devices, and weapons)
What were some of the key ideas of the Scientific
Revolution?
THE HELIOCENTRIC THEORY
Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun, an
idea known as the “heliocentric theory”
Before, people believed in the Greek theory that the Sun revolved around the Earth
Copernicus’ idea radically changed Europe’s concept of the universe and
was the foundation of modern astronomy
Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer and mathematician, proved Copernicus’
theory to be true
Kepler also proposed that planets move in elliptical orbits (not in perfect circles)
and do not always travel at the same speed around the Sun
GALILEO GALILEI
GALILEO GALILEI Galileo was one of the most influential scientists of all time
Some of Galileo’s accomplishments: (1) he improved the telescope
(2) He made observations about the Moon and our
Solar system
(3) He created the Law of Inertia and (4) he
perfected the scientific method
Galileo’s work got him in trouble with the Catholic
Church when he challenged their long-held
scientific beliefs
The theory he challenged was the incorrect geocentric
theory; with this, the Sun and planets all revolve
around the Earth
The Church always taught that God considered humans his greatest creation and made Earth the center of the Universe
Galileo’s teachings completely went against the Church’s beliefs, so he was brought before the Inquisition
Under the threat of torture, Galileo was
forced to recant (deny) his ideas
about the Sun being at the center
Galileo spent the rest of his life under
house arrest, but his ideas spread and lived on, inspiring future scientists
ISAAC NEWTON
Isaac Newton was an English scientist who made many
breakthroughs in the field of
physics
ISAAC NEWTON
Newton discovered and explained the theory of gravity
He also studied the physics of motion, heat, and light and created the mathematical field of
calculus to prove his theories
The mythical story of
Newton being inspired by an apple hitting him on the
head
ANATOMY
WILLIAM HARVEY
William Harvey was an English doctor who proved that blood circulates through the body
and is pumped by the heart
ANATOMY
ANDREAS VESALIUS
Andreas Vesalius studied human anatomy, dissecting human corpses
His work added to European knowledge of the human body for the first time in 150 years; this
marked the beginning of modern medical science
THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION SPREADS
thermometer
eyeglasses microscope
Because of these new ideas, new inventions came about
during the Scientific Revolution
WHY DOES THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION MATTER TO
YOU?
The Scientific Revolution shaped the world we live
in today; if not for the first steps of those
scientists, the way we live, think, travel,
communicate, and are entertained might be
VERY different
Originally created byChristopher Jaskowiak
Thanks to Brooks Baggett for some of the slides