The Scientific Revolution

The Roots of Modern Science What was true or false depended on ancient Greeks, Romans, or the Bible Earth was the center of the universe - referred to as geocentric theory - developed by Aristotle Greek astronomer Ptolemy (tol-a-mee): Christianity taught God deliberately placed the earth at the center of the universe - could not account for observable movement of the planets - compatible with Christian conception of creation

Ptolemy

Scientific Revolution Mid-1500s Based on careful observation Started with explorers & their discoveries - possibility of new truths to be found - new inventions led to scientific research Invention of the printing press - helped spread new ideas

Heliocentric Theory Nicolaus Copernicus - Polish astronomer - suggested that the sun was the center of the universe - feared that he would be ridiculed - did not publish his finding until 1543 - One the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies

Heliocentric Theory Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) - mathematical laws govern planetary motion - planets revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits and not in circles

Galileo Galilei 1564-1642 With a telescope, Galileo saw sunspots, moons of Jupiter, mountains on the moon Theory of velocity of fallen bodies anticipated the modern law of inertia Agreed with the Heliocentric Theory Finding scared Catholics & Protestants Church warns Galileo to not publish findings 1632, publishes book supporting Copernicus & Ptolemy Lived under house arrest until his death in 1642 1992, Catholic Church acknowledges he was right

Galileo Galilei

Scientific Method

Francis Bacon & Rene Descartes Bacon attacks medieval scholars for relying on conclusions of Aristotle - Urged scientists to experiment and draw conclusions Descartes relied on using mathematics and logic - Only thing he knew for certain is that he existed – he said, “I think, therefore I am”

Francis Bacon & Rene Descartes

Isaac Newton & Law of Gravity Mid-1600s English scientist Studied at Cambridge University Theory that all physical objects were affected equally by the same forces Law of Universal Gravitation - every object in the universe attracts every other object - degree of attraction depends on mass of object & distance be/ them 1687 – published The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy - universe = giant clock: all parts work together - God was the clockmaker who set everything in motion