Enlightenment and Revolution 1550-1789 Chapter 6

The Scientific Revolution Section 1 The Scientific Revolution

The Scientific Revolution Renaissance, Reformation broke down medieval world view, traditional beliefs Shift in scientific thinking By early 1600’s new approach based on hypothesis, observation and experimentation (scientific method) Mathematics key to understanding truths, used to convert data into information and scientific laws Earth- centered view (geocentric) idea came from Aristotle Christianity taught that God had placed the earth at the center of the universe Beginning in mid-1500’s ideas were challenged by scientists Change was called the scientific revolution It was a new way of thinking based on observation and willingness to question accepted beliefs Combination of discoveries and inventions led to Scientific Revolution Discovery of new lands challenged old truths, led to new observations that questioned world around them Ideas spread by printing press

The Scientific Revolution First challenge came in astronomy 1543 Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus- theory of heliocentric universe (sun centered) Earth one of several planets to revolve around sun Did not publish his findings for 25 years because he knew they would be rejected Other scientists built on his foundations Late 1500’s Tycho Brahe found evidence to support heliocentric theory Johannes Keppler- supported view, found planets move in elliptical orbit

The Scientific Revolution Early 1600’s Italian Scientist Galileo Galilei used a telescope to observe the planets 1610 published a book, Starry Messenger, to describe his observations He supported theories of Copernicus His ideas went against church teaching and authority 1616 Catholic Church warned him not to defend his ideas 1633 Galileo called before the pope to sign a confession saying he was wrong Lived under house arrest for the rest of his life However his ideas spread across the rest of Europe

The Scientific Revolution Ideas in astronomy were the beginning of a new approach to science (scientific method) that was a logical procedure of collecting information and testing ideas Gather data to analyze and interpret to reach a new conclusion to confirm or disprove hypothesis 1600’s Rene Descartes and Francis Bacon helped advance the new approach Bacon, an Englishman, believed that scientists would create practical knowledge to improve people’s daily lives Urged scientists to use experimentation to draw conclusions (empiricism) Descartes developed analytical geometry as a tool for scientific research Both believed that scientists needed to reject old methods and rely on math and logic

The Scientific Revolution Isaac Newton brought together ideas of astronomy and physics in a single theory of motion Came up with universal law of gravitation that all objects were affected equally by the same forces Every object attracts every other object Attraction depends on the mass of objects and distance between them 1687 published The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy one of the most important scientific book ever published Describe the universe as a giant clock All parts worked together perfectly in ways that could be expressed mathematically God was creator of universe and set everything in motion Dominant theory until early 1900’s (Einstein, Heisenberg)

The Scientific Revolution Scientists developed tools and instruments to make precise observations 1590 first microscope invented 1670’s Anton Van Leeuwenhoek used microscope to observe bacteria 1643 first barometer 1714 first thermometer invented by Gabriel Fahrenheit 1600’s Robert Boyle-chemicals basic building blocks, distinguished between individual elements and chemical compounds Challenged Aristotle's idea that earth was made up of four elements – air, fire, water, earth-

Changing Thought Medieval Earth centered solar system Limits set by the Church and theology, faith Destiny is already set from birth Time, society, world seen as natural and organic Scientific Revolution Sun centered solar system Limits set by rational, logical thought and experiments Everything can be explained and improved- engineered Time, society and the world seen as a machine, mechanical, a clock