Ptolemy - Astronomer
2nd Century (100s AD) – Rome Geocentric World View Christianity follows Ptolemy’s ideas!
Nicholas Copernicus - Astronomer
1543 – Poland On the Revolutions of the Heavenly
Spheres Heliocentric world view
Johannes Kepler – Astronomer and Mathematician
Used math to prove Copernican model correct (heliocentric universe)
Discovered that planets follow elliptical orbits (not circular)
Galileo Galilei – Astronomer and Physicist
Italy First to use
(and improve) telescopeDiscovered Jupiter’s moons,
Moon’s craters Brought heliocentric ideas into
more common use
Galileo’s conflict with the Church
Church disagreed with Copernican ideas, put Galileo on trial (1610)
Forced to choose: recant or be executedGalileo recants
Isaac Newton – Mathematician, Astronomer, and Physicist
Principia (1642) Invented Calculus Discovered Law of Gravity
Isaac Newton – Mathematician, Astronomer, and Physicist
Discovered/Formed Laws of Motion For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction An object will remain at rest or in motion unless an outside force
acts upon it (inertia) Force = Mass x Acceleration
Viewed world as a machine built on natural laws that can be understood!
Francis Bacon - Lawyer
England Experimental Thinking Popularizes Scientific Method Founds English Royal Society
(scientists share ideas)
Rene Descartes – Scientist, Mathematician, Philosopher
Discovered laws of Optics, founder of Analytic Geometry
Discourse on Method (1637)
Rene Descartes – Scientist, Mathematician, Philosopher
Separate Mind and Body (Rational Thinking!)
Doubt everything; try to prove
it!
I think…therefore I am!
William Harvey - Physician
On the Motion of the Heart and Blood (1628)
Blood circulates! Disproves theories of Galen (Greek)
On Religion
The Church refused to embrace the Enlightenment
Huge conflict between thinkers and clergy