Galileo and Copernicus: Scientific Revolution

Galileo's Contradiction of Aristotle

• Galileo challenged Aristotle's theory of gravity by dropping two spheres of different masses from the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• In the absence of air resistance, Galileo showed that objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass.
• This marked a shift towards the modern scientific method, emphasizing experimentation and evidence.

Understanding Gravity

• The force of gravity acts on all objects equally, meaning they fall at the same rate in a vacuum.
• The difference in falling speeds between objects of different masses (like a rock and a feather) is due to air resistance, not gravity.

Nicolaus Copernicus and the Heliocentric Model

• Copernicus disproved Ptolemy's geocentric model of the Universe.
• He proposed a heliocentric model where the Earth revolves around the Sun.
• This was a major event in the history of science and technology, marking the start of the Scientific Revolution.

Lessons from Paradigm Shift

• Question everything, even widely accepted theories.
• No scientific theory is above scrutiny and questioning.

Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society (STS)

• STS is a field that combines disciplines like the History of Science, Philosophy of Science, and Sociology of Science.
• STS arose during the interwar period and Cold War, out of interest in the relationship between scientific knowledge, technology, and society.
• It examines how scientific discoveries and technological applications link to other social developments, like law, politics, public policy, ethics, and culture.

STS Scholarship

• STS encompasses two broad streams of scholarship:
  • Research on the nature and practices of science and technology.
  • Impacts and control of science and technology.

Inquiry about Science and Technology

• Research on the nature and practices of science and technology asks important questions, such as:
  • Is there a scientific method?
  • What makes scientific facts credible?
  • How do new disciplines emerge?
  • How does science relate to religion?

Technology and Science

• Technology can enable scientific discoveries by providing tools and techniques.
• The microscope, for example, opened up new fields in biology.
• Technology advances often raise new questions that were previously unimaginable.
• Science is crucial to technology’s development and advancement.

Science and Technology Relationship

• Without technology, some science experiments wouldn't be possible.
• However, technology can't progress without scientific knowledge.
• The very nature of scientific questions can be shaped by available technology.

Thomas Kuhn and the Paradigm Shift

• Thomas Kuhn was an influential historian and philosopher of science.
• His book, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,” introduced the term “paradigm shift”.
• A paradigm shift is a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline.

The Importance of Paradigms

• Science can't fully progress until there is general agreement within a field on a paradigm.
• Once a paradigm theory is established, “normal science” can begin within that context.
• “Normal science” expands and extends an existing paradigm.
• “Revolutionary science” leads to new paradigm creation, which is non-cumulative and requires reinvention.

Aristotle's versus Modern Physics

• Aristotle believed that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones.
• Modern technology, like vacuum tubes, demonstrates that objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass.
• This highlights how paradigm shifts can drastically change our understanding of natural phenomena.

Science and Technology: Definitions

• Science: A systematic approach to understanding the natural world through observation, experimentation, and analysis.
• Technology: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.

The Purpose of Science and Technology

• Science explores the purpose of knowing.
• Technology explores the purpose of making something useful from scientific knowledge.
• Science drives technology through breakthroughs that enable new technologies.
• Engineers focus on using science to develop products.

Explore the groundbreaking ideas of Galileo and Copernicus that challenged traditional views of the universe. This quiz delves into Galileo's experiments on gravity and Copernicus's heliocentric model, highlighting their significance in the Scientific Revolution. Test your knowledge on these pivotal figures and their contributions to modern science.