The Scientific RevolutionThe Scientific Revolution

Medieval View of the World • Earth was an unmoving

object

•Moon, sun, planets all revolved in perfect circles around the earth

• geocentric theory (Aristotle and Ptolemy ‘confirmed’ this)

• Christianity taught that God deliberately placed earth at the center and that God/heaven was in a specific place in the universe God/Heaven

The Scientific Revolution began when… the geocentric model (earth-centered theory) was questioned by leading astronomers.

Hmmmm….I don’t think that theory

is correct!

So why did people start to question things?

•Renaissance -- Rejection/questioning of traditional ideas and ‘rebirth’ and re-learning of ancient texts (Greek and Roman)

•Age of Exploration -- they had a better understanding of the world

So what was the Scientific Revolution?

• It was a new way of thinking about the natural world• It was based on careful observation• It spurred a willingness to question accepted beliefs• It was shunned by the Catholic Church

Nicolaus Copernicus•Polish astronomer•Disputed the validity of the geocentric theory and

supported the heliocentric theory•Feared ridicule and persecution for contradicting religious

views•Published findings right before he died -- On the

Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies

I’m right and you’re wrong!!!!!!

Heliocentric model (sun-centered theory)

So why do you think the heliocentric theory upset the Church so much?

Johannes Kepler•Concluded that certain mathematical laws

govern planetary motion•Discoverd elliptical orbits of planets• Laws showed that Copernicus ideas were

mathematically correct

By gosh --

Copernicus was

99% right!

Galileo Galilei

•Falling objects fall at a fixed and predictable rate (tested at the Leaning Tower of Pisa)• Improved the telescope to study the

skies -- discovered 4 moons of Jupiter•Supported Copernicus in Starry

Messenger•Found guilty of going against the

teachings of the church (heresy) - Placed on house arrest until his death•His books and ideas spread throughout

Europe

Isaac Isaac NewtonNewton• Wrote Wrote Mathematical Mathematical principles of Natural principles of Natural Philosophy Philosophy (aka (aka the Principia)the Principia)

• Explained the 3 laws of Explained the 3 laws of motion that govern the motion that govern the universeuniverse

• Universal law of gravitation -- Universal law of gravitation -- all objects in the universe all objects in the universe attract all other objectsattract all other objects

• Discovered gravity as a forceDiscovered gravity as a force

Galen

•Greek doctor whose ideas dominated medicine

•Was wrong in many instances – relied on information about animals and tried to apply them to humans

I did the best that I could with the

information that I had -- don’t hate on me!!

Andreas Vesalius• Dissected humans to accurately

describe human anatomy

William Harvey• Showed the heart acted as a pump

to circulate blood throughout the body

Blaise Pascal•Pascal’s Law – how liquids behaved under pressure•Developed syringe and hydraulic press

Robert Boyle•One of the 1st scientists to conduct experiments in chemistry•Boyle’s Law – gas, pressure, blah, blah ;-)

Antoine Lavoisier• Invented system of naming elements• ‘founder’ of modern chemistry

Women in the Scientific Revolution

Margaret Cavendish •philosopher•Observations Upon Experimental Philosophy: book that criticized the growing belief that human were now masters of nature because of science

Maria Winkelmann•Accomplished astronomer•Discovered a comet

**Both women’s work was not completely accepted because they were women

Rene Descartes

•Developed analytical geometry (algebra + geometry)•Relied on mathematics and logic•Everything should be doubted until proven by reason

Francis Bacon

•Urged scientists to experiment and to use inductive reasoning

•Helped to develop the experimental (scientific method)

Effects of the Scientific Revolution

• Sun centered solar system became widely accepted

• Improvements in medicine

• Invention of scientific instruments

• Disproved MANY of Aristotle’s and other Greek teachings

•Questioning traditional teachings of the Catholic Church