Scientific Ideas Flashcards
What is the ‘scientific revolution’?
The scientific revolution refers to the emergence of modern scientific beliefs and methods after 1550. It marked a shift from traditional, religiously influenced explanations of nature to a system based on observation, experimentation, and reason.
What is Francis Bacon remembered for?
Francis Bacon is known as the father of the scientific method. He advocated for an empirical approach to science, emphasizing observation and experimentation over tradition and speculation
What were the three key elements of Bacon’s method?
Empirical Observation: Science should be based on gathering as much data as possible about a subject before making conclusions.
Elimination of Preconceived Notions: Scientists should reject any existing theories or assumptions that are not supported by direct evidence.
Systematic Investigation: The best way to understand natural phenomena is through methodical and meticulous observation, testing, and logical reasoning
What is the best evidence of Bacon’s influence on science?
The founding of the Royal Society in 1662, which frequently cited Bacon as an inspiration. The Society promoted the scientific method and provided a platform for scientists to share their discoveries, ensuring Bacon’s ideas had a lasting impact
What ideas of Isaac Newton have remained unchanged since his lifetime?
Calculus: A branch of mathematics that deals with change and motion.
Classical Mechanics: Newton’s laws of motion, which explain the movement of objects.
Gravity: His theory of universal gravitation explains the force that governs planetary motion and objects on Earth.
Optics: His work on the nature of light and color, demonstrated through his experiments with prisms.
What did Newton present in 1687?
Newton published Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, where he presented his law of universal gravitation and three laws of motion. This work revolutionized our understanding of planetary motion and mechanics, influencing science for centuries.
When was the Royal Society established?
The Royal Society was formally proposed in November 1660 during a lecture by architect Christopher Wren and was officially founded in 1662 with a royal charter from King Charles II.
How did the Royal Society contribute to science?
It brought together intellectuals from various fields, including John Locke, Samuel Pepys, and John Dryden, alongside astronomers, chemists, and mathematicians.
It initially studied a wide range of topics but after 1684, it focused entirely on scientific advancements.
It established the first-ever scientific journal, Philosophical Transactions (1665), which allowed scientists to publish and share their findings internationally.
It provided a space for thinkers who were excluded from universities due to religious nonconformity, allowing them to pursue scientific research.
What was the global impact of the Royal Society?
It set a precedent for scientific institutions worldwide. Inspired by its success, similar organizations were established, such as the French Royal Academy of Sciences (1666) and the Prussian Academy of Sciences (1700).
It played a key role in promoting collaboration among European scientists by encouraging them to share discoveries.
It helped to strengthen the belief that scientific progress could be achieved without reliance on religious authority, pushing forward the Enlightenment ideals
Who supported the Royal Society, and why was it significant?
The Royal Society was financially supported by wealthy patrons and King Charles II, who saw science as a means to enhance national prestige and technological progress.
This royal endorsement increased public trust in science and contributed to the growing idea that human progress could be achieved without divine intervention, a key shift in thinking during the scientific revolution.
