Discussion How might the advances of the Scientific Revolution have led Descartes and others to think about the world in new ways? Scientific discoveries might have led people to put more trust in reason and observation as ways of discovering truths about the world.

Discussion How did the methods of Vesalius and Harvey differ from earlier methods? What were their contributions to medicine? They actually dissected the body and observed its internal structure. Vesalius accurately described the individual organs and general the structure of the body. Harvey described the circulation of blood in the body and the function of the heart.

Background The phlogiston theory captured the minds of chemists in the eighteenth century. Phlogiston was supposed to be a material required for burning. Substances that burned well were thought to contain a lot of phlogiston. This theory explained many observations and became extremely popular. In fact, heat itself was thought to be a fluid, called caloric. The phlogiston theory came into question when someone finally weighed iron before and after burning. Rather than weighing less, as the phlogiston theory would predict, the red ash weighed more than the original iron. During this time, Joseph Priestley discovered a new gas, which Lavoisier called oxygen

Discussion What obstacles did women scientists face during the Scientific Revolution? Women had to rely on their families to educate them, and as scientists they faced a lack of respect for their work, as well as a resistance to hiring them.

Changes in Scientific Thinking Changing views Descartes and rationalism Bacon and the scientific method

Discussion What belief did Descartes and Bacon share? They shared the idea that reason is the source of knowledge.

Discussion How might you use the scientific method to test an idea? They would first make an observation, then form a hypothesis, then perform experiments, and finally draw a conclusion.