Scientific Revolution

• This period saw significant advances in mathematics, physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, medicine, and other fields.
• Galileo Galilei used his telescope to observe celestial bodies and confirmed the heliocentric theory.
• It started with Copernicus' heliocentric model, which challenged the geocentric view that Earth is at the center of the universe.
• Copernicus's heliocentric theory proposed that the Earth and planets revolved around the Sun, contradicting the commonly held geocentric view.
• The scientific revolution was the period when modern science began to emerge.
• In 1905, Albert Einstein proposed his special theory of relativity, which explained how time and space are relative concepts.
• Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) proposed a heliocentric model of the solar system where the planets revolved around the Sun instead of the Earth being stationary at the center.
• It also involved the emergence of new institutions like universities, academies, and learned societies that promoted scientific research and disseminated knowledge.
• Scientists during this time were often motivated by religious or philosophical beliefs, but they also sought to understand the natural world through empirical evidence and rational reasoning.
• The scientific revolution was characterized by the development of new methods such as experimentation, observation, and hypothesis testing.
• Innovations like printing press allowed ideas to spread more quickly and widely than ever before.
• Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) made important contributions to the understanding of planetary motion by developing three laws of planetary motion.
• Isaac Newton (1642-1727) formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, laying the foundation for classical mechanics.
• The printing press was invented in 1450 by Johann Gutenberg, and it made it possible for books to be printed quickly and cheaply.
• Definition of science:

  • Science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment
  • Science seeks to obtain precise and reliable knowledge about what is around us through observation, accurate measurement, and experimentation
• Function of science:

  • The main aim or function of science is understanding nature
  • Scientific theories help answer questions about the origins of nature
  • Scientific theories help understand the behaviour of matter
• Characteristics of Science:

  • Science is both a body of knowledge and a process of discovery that helps link together isolated facts to better understand the natural world
  • Science is based on evidence, not on opinion or popular support
  • Science gives reliable but still tentative conclusions, which may be found to be incorrect or incomplete based on new evidence
  • Scientific knowledge is amenable to falsification
  • Science does not make moral or aesthetic decisions
  • Science is ongoing and very useful
• Ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia made important contributions to ancient knowledge
• Sumerians of Mesopotamia invented writing (3500 - 3000BC)
• Both civilizations had advanced mathematical systems and accurate astronomical data
• Calendars were created for planting and harvesting crops and predicting lunar eclipses
• Ancient civilizations' knowledge about nature was limited and tied to practical applications
• Ancient civilizations relied on myths to explain natural phenomena
• Greek philosophy challenged mythology and sought natural explanations for natural phenomena
• Presocratic philosophers were the first to seek understanding of the fundamental nature of matter
• Thales of Miletus believed in an underlying harmony in nature governed by rules
• Pythagoras used the term "Cosmos" for the concept of an orderly universe following mathematical rules
• Greek philosophy led to the development of mathematics and geometry through Pythagoras, Archimedes, and Euclid
• Greek philosophy focused on logic and deductive reasoning rather than experimentation
• Aristotle believed in careful observation to attain true knowledge about nature
• Aristotle's model of the cosmos was geocentric with Earth at the center of rotating crystal spheres
• Ptolemy came up with a geocentric model of the Universe that included the idea of epicycles
• Aristotle's views dominated knowledge in the Middle Ages until Galileo and Newton showed errors in his conclusions