The Scientific Revolution

The Roots of Modern Science in the 16th & 17th Centuries

Questions to Ponder

• Where did people get their knowledge about the world before 1500?

• Why could these sources be wrong?

• What is a FACT?

• What is science?

• What is a revolution?

Why Study History of Science?

• Because it is a pure form of thought

• Because it affected philosophy, literature, and the arts

• Because it changed the ideas of religion and man’s relationship to God

• Because it was the basis for the development of democratic societies.

Rejection of Aristotle

• His scientific views of the universe were questioned.

• His observations were limited by the equipment of his day, but at least he based his conclusions on observation.

• Still wrong.

• Believed that the earth was the center of the universe.

Copernicus, 1473-1543

• Polish clergyman and astronomer

• Concluded that the sun was the center of the universe

• Believed that God must reside in the sun

Francis Bacon 1561-1621

• Lawyer and member of House of Commons

• Scientific research must be complimentary to the study of the Bible

• Advocate of the concept of empiricism

Francis Bacon 1561-1621

• Knowledge should be based on orderly experimentation & deductions based on experimental data

• Scientific Method

• 1620 Publishes Novvum Organum

Galileo Galilei, 1564-1642

• Discovered moon not made of perfect material

• Discovered sun hard dark spots

• Tested theory of falling objects

• Concluded that objects of different sizes & weights fall in the same way

• Dropped things off Tower of Pisa

Galileo Galilei, 1564-1642

• Believes in Kepler’s view of the Universe

• Used telescope and discovered Jupiter’s planets

• Wrote the Starry Messenger• Concluded that the solar

system was part of a system• Church condemned him• Permanent house arrest

Johannes Kepler, 1571-1630• Brahe’s assistant• Developed laws of

planetary motion• Trained as a minister

and like Copernicus believed that God resided in Sun.

• Finished Brahe’s theroy of ellipse

Kepler’s System

Tycho Brahe, 1546-1601

• Brilliant mathematician• Thought that Copernicus was

wrong. Believed that earth was center of the universe.

• Efforts proved the truth of Copernicus’ theory of the universe

Renee Descartes, 1596-1650

• Fascinated by Math• Lawyer and Soldier• Tried to use deductive

method to explain math• Developed Analytical

Geometry (graph algebraic equations)

• Worked with optics

Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

“I think, therefore I am”

• Thinking proved existence, but nothing was true until it was proven true

Isaac Newton, 1642 - 1727• One of the foremost

intellects of all time• Served in government• Father of Calculus• Determined the nature of

gravity. Determined the force necessary to keep the moon in orbit.

• Never determined the cause of gravity.

Regroup

• What did Copernicus PROVE?

• Why is Copernicus so important?

• Who is the father of modern chemistry?

• What did Galileo use, but not invent, to prove Copernicus was correct?

• What was Francis Bacon’s contribution to science?

Regroup

• What are the steps of the Scientific Method?

• “To know is to ….”

• What did Kepler prove?