...In ancient times, a common belief was the sun and planets revolved around the earth. Nicolaus Copernicus had different views and sought to change how the solar system was viewed. He had an idea of how the solar system was structured, which he named the heliocentric theory. The word “heliocentric” refers to having the sun as the center of something, specifically of the solar system. The prefix helio- means “the sun”, the suffix -centric means “the center of”, which then creates the word heliocentric. This theory was much different than Ptolemy's ever popular geocentric theory, which stated the earth was the center of our solar system. Copernicus’ thoughts and books were heavily criticized by Ptolemy supporters, which included the Catholic Church....
Words: 1242 - Pages: 5
...Theory of Knowledge Essay Eric Sheldon 4-25-13 Kennewick High School “It is more important to discover new ways of thinking about what is already known than to discover new data or facts.” To what extent would you agree with this claim? Before one can agree or disagree with the above statement, a few terms must be defined. “New ways of thinking” is thinking from a point of view that has not been considered previously, or an unproven idea. For the purpose of this essay, “facts” and “data” will be defined as: a series of empirical evidence, or a proven idea. I think that new ways of thinking and the discovery of new data and facts are equally important. If no one ever thought differently than the currently accepted way of thinking, than nothing new would ever be discovered. They are each no more and no less important than one other because, one cannot exist without the other. If one cannot exist without the other than their symbiotic relationship makes both equally important. It could be argued that discovering new ways of thinking is more important than the discovery of new data and facts. Someone arguing this point may make the point that many useful inventions that we (humans) have today come from an inventor who dared to step outside the norm, and look at a problem differently. One example of an invention is the nuclear reactor. Nuclear power would not exist today if no one had considered fission as a source of energy. Someone who disagrees...
Words: 967 - Pages: 4
...During the Renaissance a revolution in Science dramatically changed the view of scientist and many other people studying the world at the time. The Renaissance made a huge impacted geography and astronomy. The reasoning behind this is the Achievements that were made during this time period. The ancient Greeks model of the universe shows that the earth was the center and everything revolved around us that is also what most people believed and what the churches were teaching. Later, Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the earth is only one of the several plants that revolves the sun. That was rejected by many scientist but Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler helps him prove his theory by setting up a observation the viewed the sky every night for a...
Words: 265 - Pages: 2
...fifteenth century, Nicolaus Copernicus invented the Heliocentric theory which paved the way for the scientific revolution to modernize the world of astronomy in Europe. Nicolaus Copernicus lived from 1473 to 1543 and was born in the town of Thorn, Poland. He was born into a family of copper merchants and was the youngest of four children. In 1483, Copernicus’ father died, so he was sent to live with his paternal uncle who had vowed he would provide him with a quality education. The first university Copernicus attended was the University of Cracow where he studied mathematics and art. However, he ultimately became a Church Canon due to a personal connection. In October of 1496, Copernicus enrolled in the University of Bologna where he met Domenico Maria Novara, an astronomer. Through the study of medicine, which was closely aligned with astronomy at the time, and the mentoring of Novara, Copernicus became a skillful astronomer. In 1512, he released a paper titled “The Commentariolus” that stated the basic ideas of the Heliocentric theory. However, for fear of being accused of heresy, he did not publish the work and only sent it to his close colleagues. In the late 1530’s, Copernicus worked with an associate name Georg Rheticus to finalize the book he later released, De Revolutions. Throughout his life, Copernicus was influenced by many bright astronomers of the time, and the variety of subjects he studied allowed him to become a true Renaissance man. Nicolaus Copernicus was an...
Words: 1175 - Pages: 5
...and chemistry. Along with these methods, tools such as microscope, thermometer, sextant and slide rule were invented to be used for scientific research. Talented people from around the world during this time period used their knowledge to come up with these scientific methods and utilized them to answer many other questions. Some of their findings are known as formulas. Today’s generation use these formulas as theories and tries to develop them to solve problems. Observation, experiment and invention existed as early as middle ages but in the mid-15th century the belief about the physical universe was questioned. Curiosity among talented people around the world intensified. This ultimately led to development of science. In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus published the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres. His model of the Universe was alternative to Claudius Ptolemy’s geocentric system which was widely accepted since ancient times. It is believed that Copernicus’s theory of Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres lit the torch in scientific revolution. In 1576, Tycho Brahe set up Uranilborgh observatory. It was a huge step in astronomy. The mystery of the physical universe had begun to reveal. Soon after, Johannes Kepler in 1609 followed up with the Astronomia Nova which included his decade long research of the motion of mars. Galileo Galilei published Starry Messenger in 1610 which was a method of observing our galaxy with a telescope. In 1610, Francis Bacon published introduced the...
Words: 896 - Pages: 4
...them down is a treacherous one, not to mention the nigh-magical torpor the night instills in them, that they would travel "[through] bog, through bush, through brake, through brier" to bring their marriage and companionship to its proper fruition (Shakespeare). Parallels can be drawn between such a dastardly entangled timberland and the arduously complicated process of affecting unpopular change today. Much of the intricate wordplay employed by corporations and legal entities in official rules and regulations seeks to quash opposition at most every point. For example, the Civil Rights Movement and its preceding legal battles made certain that institutions were valued above the undeniably justified claims African-Americans brought to court. Nicolaus Copernicus also marched across a meandering, taxing road, through quagmires of establishmentarian hatred, a path that was later walked by Galileo until heliocentrism was largely accepted by even the most backwards political institutions. Indeed, bringing about major changes in this world will almost surely pit one against hideously complicated legal or critical paths. The rhyming that permeates the work imbues it with a unique property equal parts jovially whimsical and gravely suitable. As such, the words are organized to make evident the contrived but meaningful manner in which the usually more authoritative or relevant characters speak. In this zealously purposeful use of words, such as those used by fairy king Oberon as...
Words: 1002 - Pages: 5
...through binoculars, a telescope, or as is the case in the images here, through a telephoto lens. In relation to this, there is no doubt that all of us need to make decision in many situations. And depend on these situations we make either quick decisions or deliberate ones. However, sometimes we must make fast decisions and most of time they are right. But we need occasionally to take time to think before build any thought about things that may affect our life. So make quick decision is not always wrong. Astronomy is believed to be one of the things that unlocked the early history of knowledge. The Catholic Church believed the theory of Ptolemy, geocentric, wherein the planets, stars, and sun are revolving around the earth. But according Nicolaus Copernicus, all the planets, including the earth, are revolving around the sun or namely heliocentric. By 1632, an Italian scientist and mathematician Galileo Galilei published a book comparing the heliocentric and geocentric theory and said that the theory of Copernicus is more accurate. Because of this, Galileo Galilei was given an inquisition by the Catholic Church. Sir Isaac Newton from England explained all the things, from planets to laws of gravity at inertia. Sir Isaac Newton is also known for being the inventor of calculus. History, is it a blessing or lesson? People say that a certain thing...
Words: 1188 - Pages: 5
...Part 1 Law of Conservation of Mass: New Knowledge Changes the Course of Research In the late-17th century, scientists believe that a substance called phlogiston is released in the process of burning a substance. (Wikipedia.org, 2016). • Georg Ernst Stahl applied the name phlogiston to J.J. Becher’s 1660 hypothesis (Britannica.com, 2016) In 1775, French chemist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier : • Disproved the existence of phlogiston (American Chemical Society International Historic Chemical Landmarks, 2016)., and • Discovered the Law of Conservation of Mass (Bohning, J., 1999). Discovery of the law of conservation of mass helped to turn chemistry into a quantitative science. Example 1: Before the Law of Conservation of Mass Aristotle endorsed the belief that there were only 4 elements - air, water, earth, and fire, that made up all matter. (California State University, n.d.). Alchemists, influenced by Aristotle, believed and were trying to convert metal to gold. (Columbia.edu, 2000). Scientist and alchemists believed a substance called phlogiston came out of burning material and was released into the air. (Lavoisier, M., n.d.) Example 2: Pivotal Change with the Discovery of Oxygen Beginning around 1770, Lavoisier weighed substances before and after heating them in sealed containers when conducting experiments and determined the substances did not lose weight when burned. (Bohning, J., 1999). He discovered that the element of oxygen in the air was...
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...Major Figures of the Scientific Revolution For hundreds of years the world had been living in the dark, with no advances in science or technology. The people were stuck in the past, blindly following the rules and teachings of the Church. Amidst the dark, came a light known as the Scientific Revolution which dared to challenge the old system of belief and thinking. From the Scientific Revolution emerged major figures whose discoveries and inventions radically impacted Europe and paved the path to the modernization of science and technology. To start, Nicolaus Copernicus’s theory of a heliocentric universe drastically changed the way that Europeans viewed the universe and set the path for future scientists. Furthermore, Galileo Galilei’s invention...
Words: 1846 - Pages: 8
...Astronomy: Then and Now Have you ever heard the saying you can’t teach an ole dog new tricks? What about the one where three old dogs teach new tricks? I’m sure you have heard that one, anyone who knows about our solar system can thank the three old dogs. Well, they’re not dogs at all, and at their time they weren’t old but in our time their long gone. Of course, I am speaking about Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Kepler. Funny thing is each one of them challenged and changed their predecessor's work, for the better of course, but we will get to that later. We have these three men to thank for a whole lot of new tricks. To name a few would be, our solar system, the way we form our maps, and we can’t forget the numerous mathematical formulas used to make ideas come to life. In this research paper, we will touch base on the lives of three great astronomers and the tricks they have taught us. We will also see how astronomers of today contribute to our everyday lives. Some say that our first astronomer was a great astronomer. Other say, “Ptolemy was the only great astronomer of Roman Alexandria.” (Brown, 2016) It’s all a matter of opinion, but what we cannot deny was Ptolemy was a great astronomer of his time and today. We do not know much about Ptolemy’s personal life. What we do know about him came from his work. He was born around 85ce in Egypt to a Greek family even though he bore a roman name. To say Ptolemy was diverse is an understatement. He was also diverse in his studies...
Words: 3691 - Pages: 15
...millennia, a commanding influence in the shaping of Europe's future has been the Christian Church. The largest branch, the Catholic Church, spearheaded the growth of Christianity throughout the world. Through this mass expansion, they gained an immense amount of power due to their existence in many European Countries. An example is the presence of the Roman Catholic Church, a specific rite of Catholicism, in Italy. Being home to the Pope, Italy served as the Catholic capital. Structured upon strict, specific beliefs, the Catholic Church was rarely challenged due to their presence in the Italian Government. Some of these beliefs, however, were challenged by the Scientific Revolution, or the origin of modern science, which was catalyzed by Nicolaus Copernicus's De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, or On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. This publication, Copernicus rejected the previously agreed upon theory of geocentrism, a model of the solar system in which the Earth is the center of revolution, in favor of heliocentrism, a model of the solar system in which the Sun is the center of revolution. The Church quickly refuted Copernicus's ideas, claiming that they were absurd and borderline heretical, but not before it piqued the interest of other notable scientists. Galileo Galilei, a respected intellectual...
Words: 1586 - Pages: 7
...However, many of these early scientific investigators and theorists were wrong with their discoveries and their explanations of the universe were overthrown during the Scientific Revolution. Prior to the start of the Scientific Revolution, nearly all known astronomy was provided by the ancient assumptions of Aristotle in circa 350 BC. By the end of this revolution, the commonly accepted theories presented by Aristotle were nearly two centuries old and replaced by those acquired by using advanced mathematics and further proven through the scientific process. The start of the scientific revolution is mainly accredited to the 16th century astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus who forged a new perspective of our universe that rivaled Aristotle’s speculations and the church’s doctrine. Through his discoveries and scientific theories, a revolution began that begged questions such as, “Where are we,” and “Where did we come from,” and thus the accurate study of astronomy was...
Words: 748 - Pages: 3
... Up until the late 14th and early 15th centuries most early astronomers believed the sun, planets, and stars revolved around the earth. Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus published his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) right before his death in 1543. It was based on a theory by Ptolemy a 2nd century AD Greek mathematician and astronomer . (Sheila, 2010) In it he worked out a heliocentric mathematical theory that suggested the earth rotated around the sun. Additional Advances have continued to change our understanding of the solar system ever since. (Sheila, 2010) Example 1: geocentric view Greco-Roman mathematician and astronomer Ptolemy (c. AD 90 – c. AD 168) believed the movements of the sun, stars, and planets could be explained mathmatically. He created a set of astronomical tables which he called his Handy Tables which allowed astronomers to calculate the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets. It also allowed astronomers to predict eclipses. (Gribben, J.) He believed the universe was geocentric meaning the universe revolved around the Earth. This view would with some minor changes hold until Copernicus published his theories in 1543. Example 2: A heliocentric view In 1543 Nicolaus Copernicus published his book On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres. (Sheila, 2010) In his book Copernicus proposed a heliocentric Universe meaning...
Words: 764 - Pages: 4
...possibly believe but never that of these plans before. Galileo Galilei is a Hero because he makes the Enlightenment theory become more focused in on the actual idea that everyone thinks is an theory that cannot be actually explained in the least ways and he proves them wrong by going to the top of Pisa Tower in Italy to prove is relevant studies. One of the three reasons that Galileo Galilei is an important figure is because inventing the world's first telescope dwelling in on scientific reason dropping balls at the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, Leading the modern day people today to believe that heavier objects fall faster than the lighter ones. This theory was called the Copernicus theory that once was made up a man named Nicolaus Copernicus, who posed the theory that the hat the Sun is at rest near the center of...
Words: 644 - Pages: 3
...13.5. The Scientific Revolution Until the mid-1500s,Europeans' view of the universe was shaped by the theories of the ancient writers Ptolemy and Aristotle. In1543, Polish scholar Nicolaus Copernics published the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. In it, he proposed a heliocentric, or sun-centered, model of the universe. In the late 1500s, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe provided evidence that supported Copernicus's theory. After Brahe's death, his assistant, the brilliant German astronmer and mathematician Johannes Kepler, used Brahe's data to calculate the orbits of the planets revolving around the Sun. Scientests from many different lands built on the foudations laid by Copernicus and Kepler. In Italy, Galileo Galilei assembled an astronomical telescope. Galileo's discoveries caused an uproar. Despite the opposition of the Church, by the early 1600s a new approach to science had emerged, based upon observation and experimentation. Two gaints of this revolution were the Englishman Francis Bacon and the Frenchman Rene Descartes Bacon and Descartes differed in their methods, however. Over time, a step-by-step process of discovery evolved that became known as the scientific method.to explain the data, scientists used reasoning to propose a logical hypothesis, or possible explanation. The 1500s and 1600s saw drmatic changes in many branches of science, especially medicine and chemistry. Medieval physicians relied on the works of the ancient physician...
Words: 337 - Pages: 2
