The Scientific Revolution:

Copernicus, Galileo, and beyond

1500 1550 1600 1650 1700 . Copernicus-----> <---------Galileo------------> <--------------------------Newton

Kepler <---------Brahe--------->

Warm Up • How did Europe get out of

the Middle Ages?

• How do you prove a scientific theory? Why is this process important?

• Essential Question: What innovations during the Scientific Revolution helped to create the modern era?

Scientific Revolution Define: *A movement that challenged medieval

worldview and created a new way of thinking about the physical universe.

*The Renaissance (new ideas on art and learning) + The Reformation (new ideas on religion) + The Scientific Revolution (new ideas on the physical universe) = break from Medieval Era

Significance

• Scientific Revolution determines that mathematical laws govern nature

• The Physical World can be changed/ manipulated/ understood by humans

• Scientific explanations / discoveries can change the way people live and think about the universe

The Scientific Method Develops• Renaissance Rediscovers of ancient Greek

thinkers (Plato)– Taught that mathematics and observation key to

learning the truth / laws about nature

• Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes – Challenged assumptions and determined that truth

can only be found after an investigative process (Scientific Method)

The Scientific Method• 1. State the Problem • 2. Gather Information (Research)

• 3. Form a Hypothesis (an educated guess)

• 4. Experiment to test your Hypothesis

• 5. Collect Data

• 6. Draw a conclusion

• 7. Communicate – share data, answer questions

*Scientists create scientific laws from Experiments and observations

For Example: Newton’s Laws

• Inertia: An object moves at constant velocity, unless it feels a net force.

• Force: Force equals mass times acceleration

• Action and Reaction: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

• The Scientific Revolution was a renaissance (rebirth) of…– Scientific process, and logic– Middle Ages = No Science/ belief in Religion/bible,

etc.

• Individuals drove the Scientific Revolution by…math and observation

• How has the scientific method impacted our lives … (what discoveries have been made using the Scientific Method?)…– Medicine, flu shots, scientific machines

The Development of ScienceGreek and Roman astronomers ruled the Middle Ages

• Greek astronomers (Ptolemy) viewed the galaxy as geocentric (Earth centered)

• The Catholic Church endorsed these scientists

• Why would Ptolemy believe in a geocentric universe?…

• What assumptions did he make?

Copernicus questioned the GreeksSkepticism – challenging assumptions

• Applied the scientific method to his approach: hypothesized, gathered data, drafted conclusions

• Copernicus used observation & math to prove the heliocentric (sun centered) model

• Didn’t publish his theory while alive, for fear of rejection/questioning by peers

Galileo Galilei

• Why would Galileo fit the description of a Renaissance Man (or a Jack-of-all-trades)?

• How did Galileo prove Copernicus’s heliocentric (sun-centered) theory?

http://vimeo.com/204352

Ptolemaic (Tol-uh-may-ic) Universe – 150 AD

Copernican Universe – 1543 ADV.S.

New Ideas about the Universe How does a Scientific Idea Develop?

• Ptolemy –

• Copernicus –

• Kepler -

Discussion Questions

• How might a change this drastic make people feel about their world and their place in it?

• How would your ideas have to change if you believed in Copernicus’ idea?

• Do you/we believe/follow his ideas today?

Reactions to a Heliocentric Universe

• How did People React to a New Theory on the Universe?

Martin Luther’s Reaction“People gave ear to an upstart astrologer who strove to show that the earth revolves, not the heavens or the firmament, the sun and the moon...This fool wishes to reverse the entire science of astronomy; but sacred scripture tells us [Joshua 10:13] that Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and not the earth.”

How does Martin Luther feel about Copernicus’s theory?

What does Martin Luther think we should believe?

Martin Luther, “Table Talk,” (June 4, 1539) quoted in Thomas Kuhn, The Copernican Revolution, NY: Vintage Books, 1959, p. l91

Shakespeare’s ReactionIn the ‘Degree’ speech in Troilus and Cressida, Ulysses says that the universe shows men the value of the harmony of the geocentric theory: ‘The Heavens themselves, the Planets, and this center the Earth, observe degree, priority, and place.’ Ulysses goes on to warn that when the planets ‘in evil mixture to disorder wander’ then the hierarchy on Earth is in danger. Later in the play Troilus states that this has already happened: "The bonds of heaven are slipped, dissolved, and loosed."

What sort of universal model does Shakespeare believe in?

Peter Usher, “Shakespeare and the New Astronomy,” The Oxfordian, Vol. 5 (2002): 132-146.

• What type of evidence did Copernicus use to prove his theory?

• What type of evidence did Luther and Shakespeare use to prove their beliefs?

• What was Copernicus most concerned with?• What most concerned Luther and

Shakespeare?

Questions for you and a partner:

Questions for you and a partner:

• What type of evidence did Copernicus use to prove his theory?

• What type of evidence did Luther and Shakespeare use to prove their beliefs?

• What was Copernicus most concerned with?• What most concerned Luther and

Shakespeare?

Scientific Revolution

Copernicus Developed sun-centered universe theory

Johannes Kepler

Galileo Galilei

Tycho Brahe

Francis Bacon

Rene Descartes

Andreas Vesalius

Ambroise Pare

William Harvey

Anton van Leeuwenoek

Robert Boyle

Isaac Newton

Individuals Advance the Sciences• In what fields was progress made during

the Scientific Revolution? (what sort of topics did individuals make advances in?)

• How did these scientists work to advance the core values of humanism?

• How did the findings of these scientists improve the tolerance of science?

• How did the findings of these scientists cause instability in Europe?

Thinkers of the Scientific Revolution

Copernicus Developed sun-centered universe theoryTycho Brahe Provided evidence to support Copernicus’s theory

Johannes Kepler Calculated the orbits of planets around the sun

Galileo Galilei Assembled the astronomical telescopeFrancis Bacon Stressed observation and experimentation – scientific method

Rene Descartes Rejected Aristotle’s scientific assumptions with Francis Bacon. Was French. – scientific method

Andreas Vesalius Wrote first human anatomy book

Ambroise Pare Medical breakthroughs – ointment for infections, artificial limbs, etc.

William Harvey Circulation of blood (veins and arteries)Anton van Leeuwenoek

A Dutch inventor who perfected the microscope & became the 1st human to see cells & micro-oraganisms

Robert Boyle An English chemist who found out that matter was composed of tiny particles. Also found the difference between compounds and elements.

Isaac Newton Showed that a single force keeps the planets in their orbits around the sun. Called it gravity

Questions

• How did individuals like Copernicus and Galileo, among others, work to advance the core values of humanism?

• How did the findings of Copernicus and Galileo improve the tolerance of science?

• How did the findings of Copernicus and Galileo cause instability in Europe?

The Catholic Church’s Reaction

• Pope called Galileo to Rome• Galileo was put on trial for heresy since he– had said Copernicus was correct– went against geocentric Biblical teachings

• Faced with torture, he renounced his findings• Was put on house arrest for the rest of his life

In the end, how was Galileo able to renounce his findings, but not really lose any credit?

How Galileo Extended the Revolution

• Developed a compound microscope• Made a law to explain action of pendulums• Began observations with a refracting telescope

that he designed• Used the scientific method of hypothesis,

investigation, and conclusion• He proved Copernicus’s heliocentric model

Galileo Inspired Others

• Johannes Kepler investigated a way to describe the motion of the planets around the sun – Laws of Planetary Motion

• Isaac Newton applied his idea of gravity to prove the Laws of Planetary Motion

• Newton invented Calculus to explain all of this motion

Conclusion: The HELIOCENTRIC model won, even after the Church tried to shut down Galileo