A Change in the Way We Think
Hallie C
What was the change?
Who were the people associated with this change?
Nicolaus Copernicus
Kepler
An assistant of Tyche Brahe, named Johannes Kepler, continued his work after his death. He proved the path of elliptical orbits, showing by the stars and the planet's movements that we revolve around the sun. Through his studies, he proved that Copernicus was correct.
Galileo Galilei
Galileo was an Italian scientist who built the first telescope. He used this for his major discoveries, such as realizing that the moon has craters, and that Jupiter has dark spots and four moons. The church worried that if people found out that they had given false information on the study of the natural world, they would start to question Christian beliefs and teachings as well. They called Galileo in for trial and made him swear that Copernicus's and his own works were false. After this, he was under house arrest for the rest of his life, but his books and teachings still spread.
Newton
Sir Isaac Newton proved that every other object on Earth attracts every other object. Additionally, he proved that the Earth itself is attracting us as well, pulling us down and creating a connection between all movement and matter. He called this his Universal Law of Gravitation.
How did the change impact society at the time?
The Scientific Revolution changed the relationships between citizens, political and church leaders, and thinkers. People learned that you can't always rely on what you hear, and it is far better to research and experiment for yourself. Since finding out that there is more to our world than just Europe, they also realized there is more to space than just the Sun.
How is that change evident in today's modern society?
In our time, the world still strives for knowledge. New experiments are being tested daily, and we are further into space than we have ever been before. However, the findings of current scientists would be limited had we not had our starting point- the scientists of the Scientific Revolution. They were the first to see that the moon is more that a shiny glowing orb, and that our planet isn't quite as big as we thought it was. Who knows where we'd be today? Also, the inventions we use are far fancier than those of the 15-1600's, but we still use thermometers and barometers and telescopes. This event in history has a lasting, and more important- continuing effect on modern day science.