Essay#1 Scientific revolution was a movement that took place in Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It marks a decisive break between the middle ages and the modern world. During this historical time, many scientific methods were discovered. Among them are mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, medicine 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 new instruments of science. Finally, Sir Isaac Newton, a mathematician, figured out gravitation. One invention lead to another however the inventors had one thing in common which is they were all males. Women were not as involved in scientific revolution as men were. It is due to how women were viewed during this time. They were not allowed to participate in most of the scientific events during that time period. Women participation in scientific research and debate remained controversial. In 1673, Francois Poullain de barre a feminist who believed that female should have equal opportunity in practicing scientific methods. He used anatomy to declare that “the mind has no sex”. Meaning when it comes to process thoughts, the mind is absolutely neutral and unbiased. He believed that women possessed the same physical senses as men and the same nervous systems and brain. Poullains anatomy made sense and it was obvious to everyone that women should equally occupy the same role as men in the society if they were given the opportunity to do so. Soon after, a few women achieved their doctoral degrees. Some of them were able to become professors at reputable educational institution. In 1733, Laura Bassi became a professor at University of Bologna. Not only had she taught there, she became a member of the Academy of Science in Bologna. At that time, Italy appeared to have an exception in allowing woman to get formal recognition for their education and research in established institutions. In other places around the world woman were not so independent. They could only themselves by associating with educated men. Margaret Cavendish was a natural philosopher who relied on her family for information to get her career started but she still felt isolated being the only woman educated in a world dominated by men. But her self-esteem could not prevent her from developing her own speculative natural philosophy. She used it to criticize those who excluded her from conducting scientific debates. She justified men’s domination as “tyrannical government” when she mentioned that men were treating women unequally and underestimating their capabilities. But naturally women would have the same understanding just as men if they were sent to school. Though many women were becoming involved in scientific revolution, but they were still treated unfairly. Maria Winkelmann, a credible astronomer had worked with her husband in an observatory in the early 1700’s. They worked together to prepare a calendar for the Berlin Academy of Science based on discovering a comet. After her husband’s death, she wanted to take his place in the prestigious body. The academy’s president denied her request and insulted the couple’s calendar because it was created with the help of a woman. Insultment like this didn’t stop Winkelmann. She continued to work as an astronomer, training her children the discipline. Another woman name Maria Sibylla Merian was an observer. She served as an informal apprentice to her father before she began her career as a scientific illustrator. Merian traveled to the Dutch colony of Surinam. Despite the colony’s sweltering climate and fighting malaria she published Metamorphosis of the Insects of Surinam. It had illustrations of the life cycle of Surinam’s insects. Her work was finally recognized by the Peter I, who even displayed Merian’s portrait and books in his research. Overall, women suffered from insults during the scientific revolution. They had no rights which caused them to be rejected from participating in important events and research. Though they were confined in society controlled by men, they didn’t give up hope. They had confidence and it grew overtime. Finally, it destroyed all barriers and their hard work began to be recognized by all in society.