The Scientific Revolution represented a major change in approaches to science that began in the 16th and 17th centuries. Key aspects included increasing use of observation and experimentation rather than just speculation; applying mathematics and the scientific method; and a shift away from reliance on religious authority and tradition. Major figures like Copernicus, Galileo, Harvey, Vesalius, and Newton helped establish new theories and methods that rejected older views and fundamentally changed how science was done. Their work laid the foundation for modern science.