The Scientific Revolution

The Old Science Prior to the 16 th Century scientific thought was dominated by the works Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Galen. Greek thinking was absorbed by Christianity in the 13 th Century with Scholasticism. Systematic observation, experimentation, and mathematics played little role in the Scholasticism. Despite the ideas of Pythagoras and Plato ancient and medieval scientific thought did not contemplate the notion of universal laws.

The Old Science Cont… Ancient cosmology was reflected in views on human Anatomy Galen believed humans contained “four humors” Disorders were the result of an imbalance in these “Four Humors” Treatments included purging (vomiting, Bleeding) Despite the failures in these treatments physicians thinking revolved more around reading the ancient texts than study or clinical work. Church prohibitions on dissection hindered work in Anatomy.

Reasons for the Scientific Revolution Renaissance’s interest in nature Need for accurate celestial navigation to support exploration Catholic Church’s interest in an accurate calendar. The discrepancies between accepted theories and observations grew and could not be explained by conventional wisdom.

Inventions that Made the Scientific Revolution Possible New Purity in glass. New Developments in Math Formation of Scientific Societies

Advances in Astronomy and Physics Nicolai Copernicus ( )  Polish Priest  Asked by the Church to develop a more accurate calendar.  Wrote On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. Presented a Heliocentric view of the universe as a mathematical supposition.  Was condemned by the Inquisition following his death.

Copernicus’s theories stood temporarily as a theory without support from observations Tycho Brahe ( )  Danish Astronomer  1577 charted a comet as it passed through the solar system.  Did not support heliocentric theory the data he collected will go on to aide scientists in supporting that theory.

Johannes Kepler ( )  Assistant to Brahe  Despite being Lutheran became court astronomer to the Holy Roman Emperor  Used math to solve many of the anomalies in the Copernican model of Planetary Motion Elliptical paths  Developed three laws of Planetary Motion

Galileo ( ) Combined interests of wide scope and his ability to attract patrons First to communicate with other “scientists” (Kepler) Devised one of the first mathematical formula to explain and predict natural phenomena. Provided empirical evidence to support heliocentric theory built one of the first telescopes.

Galileo Cont… Starry Messenger (1610) depicted the moon with an imperfect and rough surface.  Contradicted the notion of perfect heavenly bodies. Dialogue concerning Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican (1632)  Support of heliocentric theory Called before the inquisition (1633)  Place under house arrest for the last 9 years of his life  Died 1642

Issac Newton ( ) Combined conceptual insights, precise mathematics, and systematic observation Principia Mathematica (1687)  Synthesized over a century of work into a coherent view of the world based on universal laws. Three laws of motion

Issac Newton Cont…. Developed the Universal law of Gravitation to explain how the universe is held together. Invented Calculus to explain infinitesimal changes in motion Even though he was a very religious man his work would set the stage for the separation of spirit and science