 1600s Scientific Revolution spread throughout Europe  Nicolaus Copernicus – a leader of this revolution  Copernicus questioned traditional beliefs  Believes the earth was round, rotated on its axis and revolved around the sun.  His views were dangerous and he risked excommunication or imprisonment.

 Copernicus worked in private without publishing his ideas.  His friends helped to publish his work right before his death.  Copernicus based his hypothesis on study and observations. He could not prove his work, because the required math was not available at the time.

 Furthering these ideas, Johannes Kepler provided math formulas that show planets did revolve around the sun.  Disproved some of Copernicus’s ideas- 1. he proved that planets move in oval paths (ellipses) not in circles.  Kepler- Protestant, did not have to fear the Catholic Church.

 Galileo Galilei – Catholic Italian Mathematician, faced opposition of church leaders. Built his own telescope and studied the night skies. Saw moons circling a planet and believed Copernicus was right about the earth revolving around the sun.  Galileo publishes his ideas.

 Book is banned by Catholic Church, pope demands Galileo stand trial.  Faced with possible death, Galileo recants many of his statements.  Continues his work after trial, establishes universal laws of physics.

 Isaac Newton- English Scientist, used Scientific Method as he studied science and mathematics. Produces groundbreaking studies in mathematics and physics.  publishes Principia. Otherwise known as Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Book explains his Theory of Gravity.  Develops a system of mathematics - Calculus

 Galen- an ancient Greek, his theories of anatomy came form dissecting dogs and apes.  Andreas Vesalius- French medical student.  Human body dissection illegal in France 1500s  Since Galen’s findings were on animals, his anatomy beliefs could not be accepted. Vesalius made important anatomy discoveries by dissecting human bodies.  Publishes On the Structure of the Human Body

 English physician William Harvey discovers that blood circulates around the body.  English scientist Robert Hooke discovered the cell.

 Irish Scientist Robert Boyle proved that air was not a basic element as it was made up of several gases.  English chemist Joseph Priestly found the existence of oxygen.  France’s Antoine Lavoisier discovered the materials consume oxygen when they burn, discovering the nature of combustion.