Lecture 5: The Scientific Revolution
A brief look at the beginnings of and the nature of the scientific revolution that has critically affected all our lives. We all benefit from the insights of science into the world around us and the expanded understanding of the processes of nature. Much of this began with the work of a few individuals that elevated the power of their own observations and interpretations over the prevalent perceptions that had been the received wisdom for many, many years.
We’ll review a few of these contributions, discuss the changes in approach that epitomize the nature of science, and list a few of the impacts of science on everyday life.
Lecture Outline
1. Introduction
2. Then and Now
3. Start of the Scientific Revolution
4. Tycho Brahe
5. Isaac Newton
6. Role of Astronomy
7. The scientific approach
8. Current science
9. Early scientists
Copernicus
Galileo
Newton
10. ALH84001
11. Resources and Science
12. Summary
Concepts introduced in lecture five:
Next lecture will focus on the Industrial Revolution.
A brief look at the beginnings of and the nature of the scientific revolution that has critically affected all our lives. We all benefit from the insights of science into the world around us and the expanded understanding of the processes of nature. Much of this began with the work of a few individuals that elevated the power of their own observations and interpretations over the prevalent perceptions that had been the received wisdom for many, many years.
We’ll review a few of these contributions, discuss the changes in approach that epitomize the nature of science, and list a few of the impacts of science on everyday life.
Lecture Outline
1. Introduction
2. Then and Now
3. Start of the Scientific Revolution
4. Tycho Brahe
5. Isaac Newton
6. Role of Astronomy
7. The scientific approach
8. Current science
9. Early scientists
Copernicus
Galileo
Newton
10. ALH84001
11. Resources and Science
12. Summary
Concepts introduced in lecture five:
- The enormous advances in our understanding of the world around us and in the nature of physical processes that have flowed from their beginnings in the scientific revolution
- The extent to which so much of our everyday life depends on the insights into the physical world that began with the scientific revolution
- That the revolution began with the work a few, and that their insights were not always well received
- That the changes involved a new way of looking at natural phenomena, with a reliance on unbiased observation and experimentation
- That the pronouncements of the past were not sacrosanct, and that prevailing beliefs and interpretations were all subject to challenge and to testing
- That all scientific hypotheses are subject to challenge and to potential improvement or replacement
Next lecture will focus on the Industrial Revolution.