Before 1500To determine what was true/false people turned to ancient Greek/Roman authors or the Bible.
Geocentric TheoryEarth-centered
view of the universeEarth was an immovable objectEverything else moved around the Earth
PtolemyGreek astronomer of the 2nd century ADExpanded the geocentric theory which was also supported by Christianity
Scientific Revolution
A new way of thinking about the natural world based on natural observation and willingness to question accepted beliefsMid 1500sChallenged the ideas of the ancient thinkers and the churchReplaced old assumptions with new theories
Heliocentric TheorySun-centered theoryEverything revolved around the sunPublished in 1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
Polish cleric and astronomerStudied planetary movements for 25 yearsReintroduced an old Greek idea that the sun was the center of the universe
Tycho BraheDanish astronomerStudied the movements of planets for yearsCollected lots of data that had to be mathematically interpreted upon his death
Johannes KeplerBrahe’s assistant and mathematicianDeveloped mathematical laws governing planetary motionPlanets revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits vs. circles
Galileo GalileiItalian ScientistBuilt his own telescope to study the planets in 1609Stood trial before the pope during the Inquisition1992 Catholic Church finally agreed that he was right
Galileo Galilei’s Ideas
Jupiter had 4 moonsSun had dark spotsEarth’s moon had a rough, uneven surfaceHis theories and laws of motion supported Copernicus rather than Aristotle
Scientific MethodLogical procedure for gathering and testing ideas
Francis BaconImportant thinker of the 1600sEnglish statesman and writerCo-developer of Scientific Method
Rene DescartesFrench mathematicianDeveloped analytical geometry Everything should be doubted until its proven“I think, therefore I am”
Isaac NewtonEnglish scientistTheory of motionLaw of universal gravitationThe Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy 1687
Zacharias JanssenDutch inventorThe first microscope
Anton van Leuwenhoek
Used a microscope to observe bacteria swimming in tooth scrapingsAlso examined red blood cells for the 1st time
Evangelista TorricelliInvented the 1st mercury barometer
A tool for measuring atmospheric pressure and predicting weather
Gabriel FahrenheitGerman physicistMade the 1st thermometer to use mercury in glassWater freezing at 32 degrees
GalenAncient Greek physicianHis ideas were accepted as factHe studied the bodies of animals and assumed humans were the same
Andreas VesaliusFlemish physicianProved Galen’s assumptions wrongDissected human corpses and published his observationsDetailed drawings
Edward JennerBritish physician of the late 1700sVaccine to prevent smallpoxHe used cowpox to inoculate for smallpox in humans
Robert BoylePioneered use of scientific method in chemistryFather of modern chemistryMatterBoyle’s Law
Volume, temperature, pressure of gas
Anders CelciusSwedish astronomerCreated another scale for the mercury thermometer showing water freezing at 0 degrees