2. The Roots of Modern Science
Renaissance inspired curiosity
This led to the Reformation
The Reformation and the challenge to
authority, helped start the Scientific
Revolution.
3. Science: The Medieval View
Remember the Earth-
at-the-center-of-the-
Universe theory?
Aristotle, the greatest
scientist until the
1500’s, had supported
this idea.
After all, it seemed
logical. The Sun
moves and we don’t.
4. A New Way of Thinking
Scientific Revolution: Beginning in the mid
1500’s, new scientific ideas would be based upon
careful observation.
A willingness to question accepted beliefs
Newfound manuscripts launched new ideas
European exploration fueled scientific research.
Used stars to guide ships
Needed better instruments and geographic
measurements.
When they started looking around, they found their
observations did not match the ancient beliefs.
5. Geocentric vs. Heliocentric
Geo=Earth
Helio= Sun
Centric=Center
Nicolaus Copernicus first started the concept.
However, his theory could not perfectly explain why
the planets behaved the way they did.
Johannes Kepler’s mathematic laws showed the
planets moved in elliptical patterns, not circular, like
proposed by Copernicus.
6. Aristotle vs. Galileo
Aristotle Galileo
Believed a pendulum Showed a pendulum
slowed down as it does not slow down.
approached its Called the Law of the
resting place Pendulum
Believed heavier Showed that all
objects fell faster objects fall at the
than smaller ones same speed.
Earth was center of With a homemade
universe telescope, monitored
the movement of the
stars to show the Sun
was the center of the
universe
7. Conflict with the Church
Galileo was urged by the church not to pursue his
ideas about the universe
He did anyway, in a book called Dialogue Concerning
the Two Chief World Systems
Was threatened by the Church and forced to deny is
ideas he knew to be true
Sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life.
Later, the Church issued an apology to Galileo, saying
they were wrong to suppress his scientific findings.
IN 1992!!!!!
8. The Scientific Method
Find a problem
Form a hypothesis (prediction) about
that problem
Observe the problem through
experimentation or data collection
See if observation proves or
disproves the hypothesis
Repeat process many times
9. Observation vs. Assumption
What we see or believe isn’t always
what is going on.
“I’d help someone who was in trouble”
“Eyewitness accounts are reliable”
“I’d never hurt another human just
because someone told me to”
10. Some Revolutionaries
Francis Bacon
English politician and writer
Believed science could improve people’s lives
Criticized peoples acceptance of Aristotle’s ideas
Rene Descartes
Rejected old assumptions and teachings
Accept only things learned through
observation
Knew only one thing for certain: “I
think, therefore I am.”
Moved on from there.
11. Isaac Newton
Brought together the ideas of Copernicus, Kepler, and
Galileo under one unifying theory.
The Theory of Motion
All things are affected by a force, gravity
That force ruled the planets, pendulum, and all
matter on Earth and Space
Every object attracts every other object. The degree
of attraction depends on the mass of that object and
the distance between the objects.
His book Mathematical Principles of Natural
Philosophy, described the universe as a giant clock.
All its parts worked together perfectly in ways that
could be described by mathematics.
Believed God was the creator of this orderly universe,
the clockmaker who had set everything in motion
12. The Revolution Spreads
Zacharias Jannsen:
1st microscope
Anton van Leeuwenhoek:
Observed bacteria under a microscope
Proved tiny organisms did not just
spontaneously appear, as previously thought
Evangelista Torricelli
1st mercury barometer
Gabriel Fahrenheit and Anders Celsius
The mercury thermometer, and their respective
measurements
13. Andreas Vesalius
Dissected cadavers to get a better
understanding of the inner human body.
William Harvey
The Heart and Blood Vessels
Edward Jenner
Vaccine for smallpox using cowpox vs. smallpox
Robert Boyle
The founder of modern chemistry