The Scientific Revolution began in the mid-1500s as thinkers began relying on careful observation and experimentation rather than accepting ancient beliefs. Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler proposed that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of our solar system, contradicting Aristotle. Galileo also made observations supporting the heliocentric model and the new scientific method through experiments like measuring falling objects. However, the Catholic Church suppressed these ideas and placed Galileo under house arrest, showing the conflict between new science and traditional authority. Isaac Newton later unified the new theories with his law of universal gravitation and view of the universe as a giant, orderly clock.