The Scientific Revolution!
Lizabeth D. Outon 2nd Period ♥
What was the Scientific Revolution?
Before the 1500's, many people in Renaissance Europe based all of their beliefs on religion and asked no questions. The answers to everything were strictly religious, and nobody dared experiment. All the "scientists" just believed everything that was told to them. However, people began to question and revolt. Experiments were made, questions were asked. Many inventors, innovators were the ones beginning to ask questions and try to find out things for themselves. When they found that the answers and conclusions they made did not add up with what they had been told all their lives, they shared their findings and gained followers. More and more people rebelled against the church. This period in time in history is now called The Scientific Revolution!
The Four Innovators!
Galileo Galilei
Galileo is one of the most popular scientists of the Scientific Revolution. Unknown to most of the public now, Galileo was actually a devout Christian and wanted to be a monk before he was a scientist. His father forced him to study medicine, and Galileo, unwillingly, did so. This was the birth of Galileo's love for science. But! The University he went to would not grant him a degree. So, to make a living, Galileo began to teach mathematics. During these times, he also lectured on literature. It was here that the University of Pisa made him an instructor-- The same university that rejected him a degree of medicine! After this, he became inventing things to make a little cash. A few of his inventions were the thermometer, and an improvement on the telescope. His discoveries were far greater than his inventions, having discovered that the moon didn't have a smooth surface, that Jupiter had satellites orbiting it, and the birth of the Heliocentric Theory! Galileo said that the earth orbited the sun, not the other way around! This caused quite the uproar, and the church was very angry that he was contradicting the bible, for he was just a mere member of the public. But, to this day, we still cherish all of Galileo's discoveries and works!
Isaac Newton
In the year 1642 (the year Galileo died), Isaac Newton was born! We know him for his many discoveries, most importantly, gravity! He also discovered that white light is what made up the colors of the rainbow. Not only that, but he also studied a lot of mathematics. He was reluctant to publish his findings, until someone else would take credit! He also created the first reflecting telescope, which was basically a telescope that showed a finer image! AND he also discovered that the moon orbits the Earth!
Nicholaus Copernicus
Nicholaus Copernicus went to college in Italy at the age of 18 to study to try and become a priest. During this time he also studied astronomy, which was then very important to priests and such. He stopped trying to become a priest, but instead became a cleric, meaning he was a literate, religious man. He studied mainly astronomy, physics, and mathematics. Copernicus didn't really invent much, or discover much on his own, however, he built upon a lot of ideas that had already been set out.
Johannes Kepler
Kepler was born into a poor family, and was a very sick child. However, he was very smart, so he won himself a scholarship! He was studying to be in a Lutheran ministry. When he went to University, he learned all about Copernicus and loved it. He was actually the first to defend any of the ideas Copernicus had! But! He refused to convert to Catholicism. So he had to leave. He then created the Scientific Method! His mother was charged with witchcraft, but he successfully defended her. His most important discoveries were about planetary motion, which we now know as the laws of planetary motion!
How did the change impact society at the time?
It wasn't the people who rebelled against all of these new ideas, it was more the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church was totally not okay with all these guys just denying everything, all the laws and explanations they've had set out for hundreds of years. They acted upon it, for example arresting them for heresy. Copernicus was actually put under house arrest for committing heresy against the church! There was actually another scientist before these guys who proposed the idea that the earth revolved the sun, and that there were more planets, but he was burned to death. Society didn't know what to do. They didn't know whether to agree with these ideas, or keep their commitment to the church,
How is that change evident in today's modern society?
Obviously, now a days, all ideas are welcome from anywhere. People can be and are more open minded. We aren't all Catholic, there are people who are Jewish, Muslim. There are even many atheists and agnostics, and that's accepted in our society. Sure, there are some people who are still afraid of things that are different, but someday, all types of people will be accepted everywhere! People shouldn't be afraid to show off what they think or what they know, because hey! Who knows. Maybe they could be the next Galileo or Newton!