Download Scientific Revolution

Origins of the Renaissance
 The growth of
trade introduced
more people to
goods and ideas
and helped to
create new ways of
thinking. The
Middle Ages
brought a return of
learning to
Europe.
Growth of Cities
Europe experienced a growth
of cities and trade along
with an increased focus on
learning and human
achievement. All of this led
to a movement of great
creativity in art, writing, and
thought. This movement is
known as the Renaissance.
The term Renaissance means
“rebirth”. The Renaissance
began in Italy and then
spread to all of Europe.
 The Renaissance began in
Italy for several reason.
Italy was the center of the
Roman Empire where many
artists and writers lived.
Another advantage was
Italy was the center of
many trade routes between
Europe and Asia. Some
major cities that helped
revive the Renaissance
were Florence, Venice, and
Milan.
Renaissance Artists
 Renaissance artists focused on portraying
humans in realistic ways. Writers and
artists experimented with new styles and
techniques that resulted in unique works.
Some artists were Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo, and Raphael.
Renaissance leads to The
Reformation
 During the Reformation, reformers split
away from the Catholic Church. This led
to a change in politics and government in
Europe.
Martin Luther
 Martin Luther is credited
with the beginning of the
Reformation. As an early
church reformer he
wanted to improve the
Church. He thought the
church was basically a
good institution that just
needed some
improvement.
Problems with the Church
 The sale of indulgences. An
indulgence was a pardon for a sin.
People bought indulgences to avoid
punishment by God in the afterlife.
Luther and other reformers were
angered that the Church would
allow someone to buy their way
into heaven.
 Luther had other ideas that he
wanted to debate with the Church.
He summarized these in his NinetyFive Theses which he nailed to the
Church Door.
How did The Scientific Revolution
change the way people thought
about the world?
What is the Scientific Revolution?
The Scientific Revolution develops as an offshoot of the
Renaissance. The same questioning spirit that fueled the
Renaissance led scientists to question traditional beliefs
and the Church about the workings of the universe. It was
a new way of thinking about the natural world.
 Before 1500, the Bible and
Aristotle were the only
authorities accepted as truth
 A geocentric model of the
universe, in which the Earth is
at the center was supported
during the Middle Ages
Causes of the Scientific Revolution
 Printing press spread new ideas
 Age of Exploration fueled a great deal of
scientific research because of technology
needed for navigation
 Translation of the works of Muslim scholars
opened the minds of European thinkers to
new scientific knowledge
New Ideas About the Universe
Three scientists challenged traditional theories about the
universe and the Greco-Roman idea that the Earth was the
center of the universe:
•Copernicus (mid1500’s)
•Galileo Galilei (early 1600’s)
•Isaac Newton (late 1600’s)
Remember Nicholas Copernicus?
Up to the time of Copernicus, people thought that there was a
sort of crystal sphere the kept the planets, moon, and stars in
orbit around the Earth. It was Copernicus that proposed the
idea that the Earth revolved around the sun, and not vice
versa… The sun was the center of the Universe, not the Earth.
Most scholars rejected Copernicus’s theory.
NONSENSE!!!
Video Clip on Copernicus
Galileo Galilei
He built a telescope and became the first man to use this tool
to study the moon and planets. What he saw made Galileo
believe Copernicus's idea that the Earth was not the center of
the universe.
The Church punished him
for his belief in this idea.
He was questioned by the
Inquisition and forced to
confess that his ideas
were wrong.
Why would the Church try
to prevent this idea from
becoming popular?
Galileo Video Clip
Question: If you drop a baseball and a
bowling ball off a ten story building, which
one will hit the ground first?
Galileo Galilei
Galileo was an Italian mathematics teacher, astronomer and
physicist, and one of the first true scientists. He used an
experiment to test one of Aristotle’s theories.
Aristotle’s
theory:
Galileo’s
Experiment:
Heavier
objects fall
faster than
lighter ones
Finds objects of
different weights
will fall at the same
speed (in a
vacuum).
The Scientific Method
This new method relied on experimentation and observation
rather than past authorities. It is still used by scientists today.
Question:
When something falls, why
does it fall down? Why
doesn’t it fall up or
sideways?
Isaac Newton
“For every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction” – Isaac Newton
Newton
OUCH
!
I am
enjoying
this
uneventful
day
Isaac Newton
 What does an apple have to do
with gravity?
 Newton was sitting in the shade
of an apple tree when an apple
fell nearby. Newton began to
wonder why apples always fall
to the ground. Why don’t the
fall sideways or up? Newton
reasoned that the earth must
have a power that draws
objects to it. This was the
beginning of the law of gravity
and motion.
Newton (1642-1727)
By the mid-1600’s, the
accomplishments of Copernicus and
Galileo had shattered the old views of
astronomy and physics.
Isaac Newton brought it all together
under a single theory of motion.
Law of Universal Gravitation
Newton’s discovery was that the same force
ruled the motions of the planets, the
pendulum, and all matter on earth and in
space.
Every object in the universe attracts every
other object. The degree of attraction depends
on the mass of the objects and the distance
between them.
Rene Descartes
“The Father of Modern Philosophy”
“I think,
therefore I am.”
•Descartes believed everything should be doubted until
proved by reason. Tradition should not be accepted as truth.
•Instead of using experimentation, Descartes relied on
mathematics and logic. He linked algebra and geometry as
a new tool for scientific research.
Rene Descartes
Descartes shifts thinking from
"what is true" to
"of what can I be certain?“
Descartes shifted the
authoritative power of truth
from God to Man.
(While traditional concept of
"truth" implies an external
authority, "certainty" instead
relies on the judgment of the
individual Man)
New Inventions of the Scientific Revolution
 Edward Jenner introduced the first vaccine for
smallpox. (inoculation- injecting a germ in the body to
create an immunity).
 Telescope (1608, Dutch) A Dutch glass maker
constructed a primitive telescope. Galileo heard about it
and improved on the design.
 Microscope (1590s, Dutch)
 Barometer (early 1600s, Italian) - measure air pressure
 Thermometer (1611) for chemical and medical studies
When all was said and done…
the major thinkers of the Scientific
Revolution (Copernicus, Galileo, Newton,
Descartes) had revealed a universe which
seemed like a perfectly run machine,
comprehensible by the human mind and the
enlightened scientific understanding it had
now gained.
Let’s test your knowledge!
Galileo and Isaac Newton promoted the idea
that knowledge should be based on
a. The experiences of past civilizations
b. Experimentation and observation
c. Emotions and feelings
d. The teachings of the Catholic Church
During the Scientific Revolution and the
Enlightenment, one similarity in the work of many
scientists and philosophers was that they
a. Relied heavily on the ideas of medieval thinkers
b. Favored an absolute monarchy as a way of
improving economic conditions
c. Received support from the Catholic Church
d. Examined natural laws governing the universe
Which statement best describes the effects of the
works of Copernicus, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton,
and Descartes?
a. The acceptance of traditional authority was
strengthened
b. The scientific method was used to solve
problems.
c. The English government increased funding for
education
d. Interest in Greek and Roman drama was
renewed.
Close - Answer the following:
1. How did the Scientific Revolution Change the way
people thought about the world?
2. Martin Luther applied the questioning spirit of the
Renaissance to religion. Galileo and Newton applied
the questioning spirit of the Renaissance to science.
Predict what else people might begin to question in the
years following the Renaissance. Explain how this
might impact Europe.