Scientific Revolution

Scientific Revolution Science and Astronomy

A Slow Revolution
From Copernicus to Newton is almost 150 years
A few thousand European scholars
Diverse opinions and intense debate
Results not widely known until 18th century

Philosophical Revolution: Epistemology
Francis Bacon: Induction
reasoning from facts to general ideas, but limited
Observable, Measurable
Concerned that scientific claims not infringe on religious truth
Rene Descartes: Deduction
reasoning from principles to specifics
"cogito, ergo sum"
Analytical Geometry
Cartesian Dualism
Baruch Spinoza: Ethical Logic
Cartesian logic, Critical
Stoic Ethics of Virtue and Equality, Secular State
Monism
Mechanistic Naturalism
"best of all possible worlds"

Scientific Revolution consists of three crucial elements:
Abandonment of traditional ideas; Creation of new categories based on evidence
Development of Scientific Method and standards of evidence
Presentation and Publication of Results for confirmation

Ptolemaic or geocentric universe
circular transparent crystal "spheres" (one per planet, sun, moon, stars) beyond which lay Heaven

Making it work: Epicycles

Copernicus: Heliocentric System
Retained Circular Orbits and Epicycles, but simplified
Emphasis on Fitting Data to Mathematical Models
Publication

Brahe and Kepler
Tycho "silver nose" Brahe rejected Copernicus, argued for modified geocentric system. Collected best naked-eye astronomical data to date, including comet observations.
Johannes Kepler used Brahe's data to modify Copernicus: elliptical orbits eliminated epicycles.
Kepler's Law: "the square of the period of each planets revolution is proportional to the cube of its mean distance from the sun."

Galileo!
Telescopic observations: features of planets, movement of the moons of Jupiter
Physical experimentation: created concept of inertia to explain astronomical movement
Studied gravity and pendulum motion as well
Published in Italian, not Latin
Convicted of Heresy

Sir Isaac Newton
Physics
inertia, acceleration, action/reaction
gravity: inverse square law
Prismatic study of light
Mathematics
Calculus (simultaneously with Leibniz)
Scientific Method
Integration of Inductive and Deductive methods
Religious

Ptolemaic system --> Copernicus --> Brahe --> Kepler --> Galileo --> Newton starting theory --> math --> observation --> math --> observation --> math

Background Picture: "Miyajima - Senjokaku Zodiac Spinner" by Jonathan Dresner, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jondresner/
Aristotelean and Galilean gif images from http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/index.html

Scientific Revolution

by Jonathan Dresner

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