Chapter 6

THE SCIENTIFIC VIEW OF THE WORLDPart 2 The Road to Newton: The Law of Universal Gravitation

The Road to Newton: The Law of Universal Gravitation• 1. Scientific advances• a. Botany•  i. Knowledge expands with the collection of

specimens•  ii. Botanical gardens• A botanical garden (or botanic garden)is a garden

dedicated to the collection, cultivation and display of a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names. It may contain specialist plant collections such as cacti and succulent plants, herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be greenhouses, shadehouses, again with special collections such as tropical plants, alpine plants, or other exotic plants. Visitor services at a botanical garden might include tours, educational displays, art exhibitions, book rooms, open-air theatrical and musical performances, and other entertainment.

•  iii. Medicinal drugs

• b.  Anatomy•  i. Vesalius• Andreas Vesalius (31 December 1514 – 15 October

1564) was a Brabantian (in modern-day Belgium) anatomist, physician, and author of one of the most influential books on human anatomy, De humani corporis fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body). Vesalius is often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomy. He was professor at the University of Padua and later became Imperial physician at the court of Emperor Charles V.Andreas Vesalius is the Latinized form of the Dutch Andries van Wesel, a common practice among European scholars in his time. His name is also given as Andrea Vesalius, Andrea Vesalio, Andreas Vesal, André Vesalio and Andre Vesalepo.

• ii. Advanced the work of Galen (animals)• iii.   Replaced the inaccuracies with knowledge gained

from observation

• c.   Bodily function• i.    Harvey• ii.   circulation• d.  Microbiology•  i.   Leeuwenhoek• Antonie Philips van; October 24, 1632 – August

26, 1723) was a Dutch tradesman and scientist. He is commonly known as "the Father of Microbiology", and considered to be the first microbiologist. He is best known for his work on the improvement of the microscope and for his contributions towards the establishment of microbiology.

• e.   Gynecology• i.    De Graaf• De Graaf was born in Schoonhoven and perhaps a relative to the De

Graeff regent family.[1] He studied medicine in Utrecht and Leiden. There his co-students were Jan Swammerdam, Niels Stensen and Frederik Ruysch, one of their professors was Franciscus Sylvius. (All of them were interested in the organs of procreation). He submitted his doctoral thesis on the pancreas, and went to France where he obtained his medical degree from the University of Angers. While in Paris, he also turned to the study of the male genitalia, which led to a publication in 1668. Back in the Netherlands in 1667, De Graaf established himself in Delft. Since he was a Catholic in a mainly Protestant country, he was unable to follow a university career. After the early death of a son, De Graaf died in 1673 at age 32 and was buried in the Oude Kerk in Delft. The reason for his death is unknown. He was, however, affected by his controversy with Swammerdam (v.i.) and the death of his son. Recent speculation that he may have committed suicide is entirely unfounded. A few months before his death De Graaf recommended, as a correspondent of the Royal Society in London, that attention be paid to Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and his work on the improvement of the microscope.

• ii.   ovaries and human reproduction

• f.    Astronomy and physics•  i.   Facilitated by advances in mathematics• ii.  decimals, algebraic symbols, logarithms

• 2. The Scientific Revolution: Aristotle to Galileo• a. Aristotelian Universe• i. Earth is center• ii. Planets revolve around the Earth• b. Ptolemaic universe 200 A.D.• i. Earth is the center• ii. Planets revolve around epicenters and the Earth• iii. Empyrean

• c. Copernicus 1543• i. Sun is the center• ii. Earth and planets revolve around the sun• iii. Used a mathematical construct to support• d. Tycho Brahe• i. Studied the movement of planets: Mars• ii. Difficulty in predicting the movement of Mars• iii. accelerating and slowing

• e. Kepler• i. Planets move in ellipses• ii. Unified the mathematical harmony of Copernicus and

the stubborn facts of Tycho Brahe• f. Galileo• i. Moon only reflects light and is made of substances

similar to Earth• ii. Planets have breadth stars do not• iii. Planets have satellites• iv. Declares that the Earth revolves around the sun• v. Forced to recant his findings• vi. Bodies in motion:inertia• Vii. change in motion rather than origination• Viii. dispensed with the need of an unmoved mover

• 3. The Achievement of Newton:The Promise of Science

• a.  Why do planet not fly off in straight trajectories?• b.  What force is involved?• c.  Newton unified the work of Kepler and Galileo• d.  Principles• i.   Universal gravitation (gravity = heavy)• ii.   Held until modern age

• e. Institutionalization of knowledge• i.  Royal Society of London 1662• ii. Royal Academy of Science France 1666• iii. Scientific periodicals and journals• f.  Practical applications• i.  Tidal movement• ii.  Timepieces• iii.  Longitude• iv.  Calculus• v.  military applications• vi.  Improved firearms• vii.  advantage to the state• g. Steam• i.  Boyles Law• ii.  Newcomen• iii.  Steam engine with limited application

• 4. The scientific revolution and the world of thought• a.  Gap between Christianity and natural science was

widening• b.  Most were optimistic• i.   Pope on Newton Let Newton be and all was light• c.  New view contributed to further secularization of

European society• d.  The universe operates under natural laws• i.   Is orderly and predictable• ii.  Contains natural rightness and justice• e.  Ideas were more acceptable as a new view of the

human experience was emerging