APEURO UNIT 4 The Scientific Revolution

Scientific Revolution

A period of major advances in scientific thought during the 16th and 17th centuries that transformed the way people understood the natural world, characterized by developments in fields such as astronomy, physics, biology, and chemistry.

Nicholas Copernicus

A Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who proposed that the sun is at the center of the universe (heliocentrism), challenging the geocentric model; published On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres

On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres

A seminal work by Nicholas Copernicus that presented the heliocentric model of the universe, arguing that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun.

Giordano Bruno

Italian monk who was burned at the stake in 1600 for teaching Copernicus’ heliocentric ideas

Tycho Brahe

Danish astronomer who spotted a new comet and a new star in the sky in the 1500’s, exemplifying that the universe was not perfectly created

Johannes Kepler

German astronomer known for formulating the laws of planetary motion, which describe the orbits of planets around the Sun as elliptical rather than perfectly circular.

Galileo Galilei

Italian astronomer and physicist who made significant improvements to the telescope, leading to discoveries such as the moons of Jupiter and support for the heliocentric model.

William Harvey

English physician who discovered the circulation of blood in the body, demonstrating how the heart pumps blood through a network of arteries and veins; corrected Galen’s notions on the circulatory system

Francis Bacon

English politician who chided everyone using the old paradigms and models of the universe; created observations and experiments, seeking to use reason; argued for the scientific method and asking original questions; wrote The Advancement of Learning; introduced Empiricism and Inductive Reasoning

The Advancement of Learning

A philosophical work by Francis Bacon advocating for empirical research and the systematic pursuit of knowledge through experimentation and observation.

inductive reasoning

A method of reasoning that involves developing general principles based on specific observations and experiments.

Rene Descartes

French philosopher and mathematician known for his statement "I think, therefore I am." He emphasized the use of reason and skepticism in the pursuit of knowledge; introduced deductive reasoning

Isaac Newton

An English mathematician and physicist who developed the laws of motion and universal gravitation. His work in calculus and optics also laid foundational principles for modern science; encapsulated his findings in his Principa Mathematica

Principa Mathematica

a work from 1687 by Isaac Newton that outlines his laws of motion, universal gravitation, and contributions to calculus and optics, fundamentally shaping modern scientific thought.

Garcia da Orta

A Portuguese physician and botanist known for his pioneering work in the study of tropical plants and medicine in India. He authored "Conversations on the Simples, Drugs and Medicinal Substances of India," a significant text in botany and pharmacology.

Quinine

A medication used to treat malaria and other fevers, and highlighted in historical texts for its role in tropical medicine; derived from local people in Lima who cured a Jesuit priest with malaria with their quina-quina; assisted in further European expansion

Court Mathematicians

Scholars appointed by monarchs to advance mathematics and sciences, often providing counsel and developing projects that supported state interests during the Scientific Revolution.

Royal Academy of Sciences

An institution established in France by King Louis XIV in 1666 to promote scientific knowledge, encourage research, and facilitate collaboration among scientists, playing a crucial role in the advancement of science during the Enlightenment.

Aristotle

Ancient Greek philosopher who taught that the Earth was at the center of the universe, creating a geocentric model that conformed with ideas of the Church and that influenced astronomical thought for centuries.

natural philosophy

The study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before modern science, encompassing disciplines such as physics, chemistry, and biology.

Ptolemy

Ancient Greek astronomer known for his geocentric model of the universe, which posited that the Earth was at the center, influencing astronomical thought and the Church's views for many centuries.

Galen

Ancient Greek physician whose medical theories, rooted in the works of Aristotle, dominated European medicine for centuries; enforced Humoral Theory

Humoral Theory

A medical concept that posits health is maintained by a balance of four bodily fluids or humors: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile.

Paracelsus

A Swiss physician and alchemist who challenged traditional (Humoral Theory) medical practices and emphasized the use of chemicals in medicine, contributing to the development of modern pharmacology.

Andreas Vesalius

A Flemish physician known for his pioneering work in anatomy through detailed dissections and illustrations, which corrected many misconceptions from Galen's teachings.

Empiricism

A philosophical approach that emphasizes knowledge through sensory experience and experimentation (inductive reasoning), particularly in the scientific method; introduced by Francis Bacon

Deductive reasoning

A logical process where conclusions are drawn from general principles or premises to specific cases, often associated with the works of René Descartes.