UNIT 5 - Scientific Revolution

RENAISSANCE PERIOD

15TH-17th Century - Historical changes in thoughts and beliefs that unfolded in Europe

• Renaissance Period

  • rebirth of ancient Greek knowledge - joined empirical observations with logical reasoning

  • aided by technological innovation at the time

  • Copernican Revolution 1543

    • Polish Monk who advocated for the heliocentric because it fit in with his observational data - published this data on his deathbed because of the strength of the church, was too scared to before

• Galileo Galilei

  • technology aids science - adapted the lens to create a telescope which he would use to look at the sky and the stars

  • saw the moon and its craters - advocated the heliocentric model

  • taken to trial and put on house arrest by the church - views varied from that of the church where the universe was perfect not an ugly moon with craters

  • Father of Modern Science

    • his observational and experimental approach to knowledge AND the ability to question doctrine - what we take for granted

    • i can compare to leonardo da vinci - scientist, when he did the fresco of the last supper never used the tried and tested method of doing frescos (why its in a bad state, experimental approach which backfired)

• Kepler

  • religious wanted to prove heliocentric model with circular orbits (the circle is perfect, god is the great mathematician)

  • studies and empirical data proved otherwise - elliptical orbit

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    AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

• 18th century - revolution in astronomy → brought about a revolution in science as a whole

• Newton

• underlying principles of nature (applies to everything like an atom)

  • laws of gravity

  • scientific thinking - that you find the underlying principles for science’s sake, the basic concept by which everything in the universe works