Scientific Revolution PDF

Scientific Revolution Christopher R. Biuag ✓Differentiate the world outlooks of the medieval period and the scientific revolution in Western Europe How would you react to a revolutionary idea? You are a university student during the late 1600s, and it seems that the world as y...

Scientific Revolution Christopher R. Biuag ✓Differentiate the world outlooks of the medieval period and the scientific revolution in Western Europe How would you react to a revolutionary idea? You are a university student during the late 1600s, and it seems that the world as you know it has turned upside down. An English scientist named Isaac Newton has just theorized that the universe is not a dark mystery but a system whose parts work together in ways that can be expressed mathematically. This is just the latest in a series of arguments that have challenged old ways of thinking in fields from astronomy to medicine. Many of these ideas promise to open the way for improving society. And yet they are such radical ideas that many people refuse to accept them. ✓Why might people have difficulty accepting new ideas or ways of thinking? ✓What are the risks of embracing a different idea? What are some risks of always refusing to do so?  Before the scientific revolution Nature and societal issues were explained and addressed through scholasticism or the use of religious dogma and tradition Scholars began to question ideas that had been accepted for hundreds of years (Beck et al, 2012) prompted followers to challenge accepted ways of thinking about God and salvation (Beck et al, 2012) Scientific Revolution ✓the great change in ways of thinking about the physical world that came about in the late 1500’s and 1600’s, when the foundations of modern science were laid (Perry, 1989) ✓a new way of thinking about the natural world. That way was based upon careful observation and a willingness to question accepted beliefs (Beck et al, 2012) Scientific Revolution Thinkers  What astronomical model is shown? Ans: Geocentric Model  What law suggests that… and who proposed it? Third law of motion by Isaac Newton geocentric system Ptolemaic diagram of a geocentric system, from the star atlas Harmonia Macrocosmica by the cartographer Andreas Cellarius, 1660.  Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) Mathematician, astronomer and priest who proposed that the sun was stationary in the center of the universe and the earth revolved around it. Book: (1543) On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies Source: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries /copernicus/ Heliocentric or Sun-centered Theory This model shows how Copernicus saw the planets revolving around the sun. Note: Copernicus’s heliocentric, or sun- centered, theory still did not completely explain why the planets orbited the way they did. He also knew that most scholars and clergy would reject his theory because it contradicted their religious views. Fearing ridicule or persecution, Copernicus did not publish his findings until 1543, the last year of his life.  Tycho Brahe (1546 – 1601) He observed the skies and was able to plot accurate positions of 777 fixed stars (Eggen, 2020). He observed a ‘new star’ in 1572 that showed that its location was farther than the moon and was considered as a fixed star. He published this discovery in De nova stella in 1573 that made him gain his reputation as an astronomer (Eggen, Tycho Brahe, 2020).  Brahe believed in a model of the Universe with the Sun (rayed disk) orbiting the Earth (black dot), but the other planets (symbols) orbiting the Sun. In an attempt to prove his theory, Brahe compiled extensive astronomical records, which Kepler eventually used to prove heliocentrism and to calculate the orbital laws. [Adapted from Tycho Brahe, Astronomiae instauratae progymnasmata (“Introductory exercises toward the restoration of astronomy.”)] Johannes Kepler (1571- 1630) 3 Laws of Planetary motion: ✓The path followed by the planets is elliptical (not circle) orbits and the sun is at the center of its path. ✓Planets do not move in constant speed. ✓The planet’s distance from the sun and the time it takes for it to complete its orbit have a mathematical relationship.  Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642) ✓He emphasized the importance of experimentation and observation in understanding the natural world. ✓With the use of his telescope, he confirmed that planets move around the sun. He also observed that planets have mountains and moons just like Earth. Galileo Stands Before The Papal Court With sincere heart and unpretended faith I abjure, curse, and detest the aforesaid errors and heresies [of Copernicus] and also every other error... contrary to the Holy Church, and I swear that in the future I will never again say or assert... anything that might cause a similar suspicion toward me. GALILEO GALILEI, quoted in The Discoverers  Sir Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) He was certain that all physical objects were affected equally by the same forces. Newton’s great discovery was that the same force ruled motion of the planets and all matter on earth and in space. The key idea that linked motion in the heavens with motion on the earth was the law of universal gravitation He described the universe like a giant clock with parts that followed strict mechanical and mathematical principles. This interaction is summarized by his Three (3) Laws of Motion. 3 Laws of Motion: 1. An object will remain at rest unless an external force causes it to move. 2. The greater the mass the greater the gravitational pull. 3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) He believed that nature can be understood by systematic reasoning known as the scientific method.  Instead of reasoning from abstract theories, he urged scientists to Experimental/Scientific Method experiment and then 1. Stating the problem draw conclusions. This 2. Forming hypothesis or a approach is called tentative theory 3. Making observations and empiricism, or the experiments experimental method. 4. Interpreting data 5. Drawing conclusions He believed that new knowledge can be formed by looking at examples or proofs from a general point (inductive reasoning). Inductive Reasoning: reasoning where the conclusion is not guaranteed by the truth of the premises: 1.In the past, eating peanuts did not cause me to have an allergic reaction. 2.Therefore, in the future, I will not have an allergic reaction to peanuts. Unlike deductive arguments, the conclusion can be false even if the premises are true. (You could develop a peanut allergy later in life.) Inductive reasoning usually relies on experience and is most commonly used in science. https://thedecisionlab.com/reference- guide/philosophy/syllogism  Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) Rather than using experimentation, Descartes relied on mathematics and logic. He was famous for his line “I think, therefore I am” (Cogito, ergo sum) which implies that the only truth that he can be sure of is his existence.  He believed that “everything should be doubted until proved by reason.” (Beck, Black, Naylor, & Shabaka, 2012) He proposed the use deductive reasoning in explaining reality. Deductive Reasoning: reasoning where the truth of the premises guarantees the truth of the conclusion:1 1.All humans are mortal. 2.Socrates is a human. 3.Therefore, Socrates is mortal. These kinds of arguments are justified based on how they’re arranged, rather than from any particular experiences. They are most commonly used in philosophy. https://thedecisionlab.com/reference- guide/philosophy/syllogism  The Scientific Revolution Spreads As astronomers explored the secrets of the universe, other scientists began to study the secrets of nature on earth. Careful observation and the use of the scientific method eventually became important in many different fields  Andreas Vesalius (1514 – 1564) He challenged the ideas written by Galen by studying corpses and skeletons which was very controversial since it was prohibited for physicians to dissect human bodies.  This brave act allowed him to come up with illustrations of human anatomy that corrected a lot of misconceptions. This was the start of modern Anatomy. His book, On the Structure of the Human Body (1543), was filled with detailed drawings of human organs, bones, and muscle.  William Harvey (1578 – 1657) He discovered that the human heart, not the arteries, pumps blood in a circuit throughout the body. Harvey’s experiment illustrating the venous valves (nodes or portals) and the unidirectional nature of emptying and filling. He also states: “Now if you reckon the business, how much by one compression moves upwards by suppression of the portal, and multiplying that by thousands, you shall find so much blood pass’d by this means through a little part of a vein, that you will find your self perfectly perswaded concerning the circulation of the blood, and of its swift motion. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.115 2/nips.01391.2002  Impact of the scientific revolution: Scientific communities were formed to encourage and promote the use of scientific inquiry. They replaced universities as centers of scientific knowledge and discoveries. Modern day scientific method was developed because of the discoveries of this period. Science became more popular among scholars and the literate classes. More people believed that the gift of reason will lead them to a better understanding of the physical world.