STS Intellectual Revolution PDF
STS Intellectual Revolution PDF
STS Intellectual Revolution PDF
REVOLUTIONS
THE BIRTH
OF
MODERN
SCIENCE
The Birth of Modern Science
Western science was born in Ancient Greece.
Greeks were the first to explain the world in terms
of natural law instead of myths about gods and
goddesses. Everything they learned about the
natural world had to be done with the unaided
senses and whatever rational deductions they could
make based on them.
ARISTOTLE
Created a body of theory
Three basic observations laid the
foundations for Aristotle’s view of the
universe and laws of motion:
oTheory of elements – Democritus’
atomic theory; and the basic states of
matter: solid, liquid, gas, plus fire, which
Greeks saw as an element.
oObservation that the stars, sun, planets,
and moon seem to orbit the earth in
perfect circles.
ARISTOTLE
oAll dropped objects seem to fall toward
the center of the earth.
The theory of elements and the perfect
circular orbit of celestial bodies around the
earth gave rise to the idea that the
celestial bodies were made of a perfect
element called ether.
The motion of dropped objects toward the
center of the earth and the apparent orbits
of the heavenly bodies around the earth
led to the geocentric theory.
GEO
CEN
TRIC
Born in 90 A.D
Roman astronomer, geographer,
astrologer, mathematician
One of his contributions was the
detailed geocentric model of the
solar system
This description of the universe was
accepted by the astronomical
community for more than ten
thousand years until the Copernican
System gained acceptance.
The Geocentric Model is often named as
Ptolemaic model
Ptolemy's model of the universe assumes that the
Earth was the center of the universe, while the
other celestial bodies revolved around the Earth in
perfect circles with constant velocity. Ptolemy
assumed that the planets revolved on epicycles
(small spheres) which moved around the deferent
(larger sphere). He added that the stars belonged
to the celestial sphere which was located beyond
the planetary spheres.
The Downfall of Aristotle
There were several factors that worked both to overthrow
Aristotle’s system and to preserve it.
1. Aristotle’s theories relied very little on experiment.
2. The Church had grafted Aristotle’s theories onto its
theology.
3. There were the Renaissance scholars who were
uncovering other Greek authors who contradicted
Aristotle.
The Downfall of Aristotle
These factors encouraged the scholars to think for
themselves and find a new theory that worked. This
encouraged skepticism, freethinking, and
experimentation, all of which are essential parts of
modern science.
COPERNICAN
REVOLUTION
Born in 1473 in Torun, Prussia(Poland)
and raised by German parents
Raised by uncle who became a bishop
in the Catholic Church
Went to University of Cracow
Studied medicine, but discovered
ancient classics of math and
astronomy
Lived at his uncle’s castle as house
physician for six years
Published De Revolutionibus
Orbium Coelestium (The
Revolution of Celestial Spheres) :
Heliocentric Model
Copernicus’ model explained the
observed motions of the planets
More simply than Ptolemy’s model by
assuming that a central sun around which all
planets rotated, with the slower planets
having orbits farther than the sun
He was influenced by a strong Neo-Platonist
tradition which sought the meaning of life in
mysteries that may seem to defy common
sense.
Symbolic value of sun: “Giver of Life”
Earth, a planet like others, all circling
the sun
Moon circling Earth
Earth has 3 motions:
1. Daily rotation - replacing the
movement of the sphere of the fixed
start.
2. Annual revolution around the sun -
accounting for retrograde motion
3. 3rd Motion - an annual rotation
about an axis perpendicular to the
ecliptic change in earth’s axis
relative to the sun.
Fixed stars truly fixed now. Sphere of
the fixed stars motionless.
No equant
If earth is not the centre of the sphere of the fixed stars, but in
orbit around the centre, it should see the stars at varying angles
at different times of year. Therefore there should be stellar
parallax seen. But none is seen.
The heliocentric model was eventually
universally accepted by the scientific
community, but it spread quite slowly.