THETHE

SCIENTIFIC SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION

EUROPE IN EUROPE IN THE 1500’sTHE 1500’s

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONESSENTIAL QUESTION

What were the What were the important important contributions of contributions of scientistsscientists like Copernicus, like Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton Kepler, Galileo, and Newton during the during the Scientific Scientific Revolution?Revolution?

The Scientific Revolution was a time period

(starting in the mid-1500s) in Europe where

new ways of thinking about the natural world

came about

The ideas of the ancient scientists (Greeks and

Romans) and of the Catholic Church were challenged by the new breed of scientists

in Europe

During this era of the Scientific Revolution, Europe experienced a time when new ideas in physics, astronomy, biology, and anatomy changed the

ways Europeans viewed the world

To prove these new ideas, the scientists

began using the “scientific method”,

which is a logical procedure for

gathering information and testing ideas

Before the 1500s, science was a mix of

ancient ideas and Church teachings; for

centuries, no one challenged these old

scientific beliefs

But the new ways of thinking in the 1500s

led to a more rational approach to science:

observation, experiments, and

scientific reasoning

Thinkers used logic and the

scientific method to find

answers to questions

Everything was questioned and

nothing was assumed to be

true; it had to be PROVEN true

A TIME OF GREAT CHANGE

It is because of the influences of the major movements in Europe during the 1500s that the

Scientific Revolution came about

The Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the Age of

Exploration all made the Scientific Revolution happen

REASONS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONThe Scientific Revolution began in the mid-1500s

because of recent discoveries in other areas

of European life During the Renaissance,

people began to question religious beliefs and

thought that humans could accomplish anything

This belief in the possibilities of human

achievement led to great leaps in science

Questioning religious beliefs led to people also questioning the Church’s long-held

scientific beliefs

The Protestant Reformation also had

an effect on the Scientific RevolutionBecause of the

Reformation, people questioned the

Catholic Church’s religious beliefs

REASONS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

REASONS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

The 1500s were also the time of Europe’s Age of Exploration

The discovery of lands previously

unknown to Europeans led

people to search for other “new” things,

such as new scientific ideas

Particularly, explorers were interested in better technology that would help them explore (such as ship-building, navigational devices, and weapons)

What were some of the key ideas of the Scientific

Revolution?

THE HELIOCENTRIC THEORY

Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun, an

idea known as the “heliocentric theory”

Before, people believed in the Greek theory that the Sun revolved around the Earth

Copernicus’ idea radically changed Europe’s concept of the universe and

was the foundation of modern astronomy

Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer and mathematician, proved Copernicus’

theory to be true

Kepler also proposed that planets move in elliptical orbits (not in perfect circles)

and do not always travel at the same speed around the Sun

GALILEO GALILEI

GALILEO GALILEI Galileo was one of the most influential scientists of all time

Some of Galileo’s accomplishments: (1) he improved the telescope

(2) He made observations about the Moon and our

Solar system

(3) He created the Law of Inertia and (4) he

perfected the scientific method

Galileo’s work got him in trouble with the Catholic

Church when he challenged their long-held

scientific beliefs

The theory he challenged was the incorrect geocentric

theory; with this, the Sun and planets all revolve

around the Earth

The Church always taught that God considered humans his greatest creation and made Earth the center of the Universe

Galileo’s teachings completely went against the Church’s beliefs, so he was brought before the Inquisition

Under the threat of torture, Galileo was

forced to recant (deny) his ideas

about the Sun being at the center

Galileo spent the rest of his life under

house arrest, but his ideas spread and lived on, inspiring future scientists

ISAAC NEWTON

Isaac Newton was an English scientist who made many

breakthroughs in the field of

physics

ISAAC NEWTON

Newton discovered and explained the theory of gravity

He also studied the physics of motion, heat, and light and created the mathematical field of

calculus to prove his theories

The mythical story of

Newton being inspired by an apple hitting him on the

head

ANATOMY

WILLIAM HARVEY

William Harvey was an English doctor who proved that blood circulates through the body

and is pumped by the heart

ANATOMY

ANDREAS VESALIUS

Andreas Vesalius studied human anatomy, dissecting human corpses

His work added to European knowledge of the human body for the first time in 150 years; this

marked the beginning of modern medical science

THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION SPREADS

thermometer

eyeglasses microscope

Because of these new ideas, new inventions came about

during the Scientific Revolution

WHY DOES THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION MATTER TO

YOU?

The Scientific Revolution shaped the world we live

in today; if not for the first steps of those

scientists, the way we live, think, travel,

communicate, and are entertained might be

VERY different

Originally created byChristopher Jaskowiak

Thanks to Brooks Baggett for some of the slides