The Scientific Revolution In the 1500s and 1600s the Scientific Revolution changed the way Europeans looked at the world. Europeans drew on earlier ideas to develop a new way of gaining knowledge about the natural world. People began to make conclusions based on experimentation and observation, instead of merely accepting traditional ideas.

Before the Scientific Revolution… Until the mid 1500’s, European scholars accepted and believed the teachings of Ptolemy, an ancient Greek astronomer. Ptolemy (87-140 A.D.) Ptolemy taught that the Earth was the center of the universe. People felt this was common sense, and the geocentric theory was supported by the Church. It was not until some startling discoveries caused Europeans to change the way they viewed the physical world.

Roots of the Revolution Greek thinkers such as Aristotle wrote about astronomy, geography, and many other fields. Aristotle’s greatest contribution was the idea that people should observe the world carefully and make logical, reasonable conclusions. Rationalists: people who looked at the world in a rational, or reasonable and logical, way.

The Birth of Modern Science Science was a completely different way of looking at the world. Science starts with observations, and then scientists begin to identify the facts. The explanations that scientists develop based on the facts are called theories. Scientists design experiments to prove their theories.

The Scientific Method By the early 1600s, a new approach to science had emerged, known as the Scientific Method. Scientific Method – painstaking method used to confirm findings and to prove or disprove a hypothesis. Scientists observed nature, made hypotheses, or educated guesses, and then tested these hypotheses through experiments. Unlike earlier approaches, the scientific method did not rely on the classical thinkers or the Church, but depended upon a step-by-step process of observation and experimentation.

Advances in astronomy were key events of the Scientific Revolution The Greeks believed the earth was at the center of the universe. In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus published a book that contradicted what the Greek authorities had written. Many historians believe that this book marked the beginning of the Scientific Revolution. Copernicus said the planets orbited the sun. Johannes Kepler observed that planets moved in oval orbits, not circular ones. Galileo Galilei was the first person to study the sky with a telescope. He used experiments to test his theories.

Sir Isaac Newton developed laws that explained much of the natural world. The high point of the Scientific Revolution was marked by the publication of a book by a very famous scientist, Sir Isaac Newton. Sir Isaac Newton was a British scientist, who wrote the book Principia Mathematica. Newton studied and simplified the work of earlier scientists. He coupled it with his own observations and identified four theories that prove how the world works. Gravity- that’s cool. Motion- still in motion today Newton also invented calculus, (thanks Newton) But no cookies

New inventions helped scientists study the natural world During the Scientific Revolution, scientists invented instruments that helped them study the natural world. A Dutch scientist developed the simple microscope. Galileo invented the first thermometer and built a much-improved telescope. The barometer was invented to measure air pressure. Barometers are used to help forecast the weather. These inventions gave scientists the tools they needed to make more accurate observations and to conduct experiments.

Science influenced new ideas about government The Scientific Revolution taught people that human reason or logical thought was a powerful tool. The use of reason to consider the problems of society led philosophers to look at ways to improve society. The idea that all things in nature were equal led people to believe that since all laws in society were equal, everyone in society should be equal as well. This sense of equality led to the introduction of more democratic ideas for government.

Scientific revolution vs the church The Roman Catholic Church was a powerful force in Europe during the time of the Scientific Revolution. The birth and growth of science led to conflicts between scientists and the church. The new field of science was putting forth ideas that conflicted with the teachings of the church. One such theory was that the earth revolved around the sun, not that the sun revolved around the earth, as the church taught. Church officials believed that when scientific theories contradicted the church, they weakened the church. The church feared that people might start to doubt the key elements of their faith.

The Men of the Scientific Revolution Galileo Vesalius Bacon (yum) (no not that bacon) (oh ) Kepler Copernicus Newton

The Men of the Scientific Revolution In groups, research the contributor of the Scientific Revolution found on the back of your table’s card As a group, discuss the achievements of your contributor and decide on his biggest achievements and why it matters to science and today As you research, complete this chart  Each group member must have a detailed chart in order to teach others about their contributor to other students tomorrow ___________________ Full Name: Birth: Death: Area of Study: Biggest Achievements: (3+ biggest contributions to science) (date of achievements) (why they matter) Interesting Facts:

The Men of the Scientific Revolution ___________________ Full Name: Birth: Death: Area of Study: Biggest Achievements: (3+ biggest contributions to science) (date of achievements) (why they matter) Interesting Facts: It is now your turn to be the teacher! Don’t just recite but teach!! Take turns in your new groups to teach each other about your contributor of the Scientific Revolution As each person talks, record the information onto your papers. At the end, you should have six contributors of the Scientific Revolution