COPERNICAN REOVLUTION

A period marked by paradigm shifts, where widely accepted scientific beliefs are challenged.
Wootton (as cited by McCarthy, 2019) defines it as the replacement of Aristotelian ethics and Christian morality with instrumental reasoning or cost-benefit analysis.

The Greeks were the first to explain the world using natural laws instead of myths.
They emphasized the importance of math and experimentation in science.

A golden age for science, but also a challenging time for some, leading to death or condemnation from religious institutions.
Renaissance scholars rediscovered Greek authors who contradicted Aristotle, leading to skepticism, freethinking, and experimentation.

The most influential figure in Western science until the 1600s.
His theories were logical but relied very little on experiment.
Opposition was difficult because:
- Attacking one part of his system meant attacking the whole thing.
- The Church integrated Aristotle's theories into its theology.
Aristotle believed that the natural motion of the Earth is towards the center of the Universe.

Astronomer and Geographer in Alexandria (2nd century AD).
Proposed Geocentrism: planets, the sun, and the moon move in circular motions around the Earth.
His model was widely accepted and adopted by the Christian church.

Calculated relative distances of the sun and moon in the 3rd century BC using eccentric trigonometric measurements.
Suggested the sun was the pivot point for the universe.

French Philosopher.
In "Book of the Heavens and the Earth" (1377), he argued that there was no proof the Earth was static and it could be in motion.

Polish Mathematician and Astronomer.
Geocentrism Problem: Planetary orbits appeared irregular, with retrogradations that astronomers explained by adding epicycles.
Copernicus's solution: Heliocentrism (sun at the center) reduced the number of epicycles from 80 to 34.
His book, "Concerning the Revolutions of the Celestial Worlds" (1543), was banned in 1616.
Copernicus aimed to revive older heliocentric ideas from Greeks like Plato and Pythagoras.

Danish Astronomer (1546 - 1601).
Proposed a Geo-heliocentric System: planets revolve around the sun, but the sun and moon revolve around the Earth.
Tracked orbits of stars and planets with the naked eye and kept extensive records.

German Astronomer (1571-1630).
Used math to define the workings of the cosmos.
Discovered planetary orbits are elliptical, not circular, using Brahe's data.
Laws of Planetary Motion:
- 1. The Law of Ellipses: The path of the planets about the sun is elliptical in shape, with the center of the sun being located at one focus.
- 2. The Law of Equal Areas: An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sun to the center of the planet sweeps out equal areas in equal intervals of time.
- 3. The Law of Harmonies: The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the sun.

Italian Scientist.
Observed sunspots and moon craters with his telescope and four moons orbiting Jupiter.
Reported findings in "The Starry Messenger" (1611).
The Church tried to preserve the Aristotelian and Ptolemaic view.
In 1632, Galileo published "Dialogue on the Great World Systems," presenting both views