Big Thinkers (Key Figures)
He proposed the heliocentric (sun-centered) model of the universe, publishing his ideas just before he died in 1543.
Who is Nicolaus Copernicus?
This old Greek model placed the Earth unmoving at the exact center of the universe.
What is the geocentric theory?
Galileo turned this optical glass instrument toward the night sky and changed astronomy forever.
What is the telescope?
This step-by-step logical process uses observation, a hypothesis, and testing to solve a problem.
What is the scientific method?
Before the Scientific Revolution, European scholars relied heavily on ancient Greek authorities like Aristotle and teachings from this major institution.
What is the Catholic Church?
This Italian scientist used an improved telescope to observe Jupiter’s moons and got into deep trouble with the Catholic Church.
Who is Galileo Galilei?
This new model placed the Sun at the center of the solar system, with Earth and other planets revolving around it.
What is the heliocentric theory?
This tiny-observing instrument allowed Anton van Leeuwenhoek to view bacteria and single-celled organisms for the first time.
What is the microscope?
Francis Bacon helped develop this method of reasoning that builds general conclusions from specific, real-world data and experiments.
What is inductive reasoning (or the empirical method)?
The Catholic Church opposed heliocentrism because it conflicted with traditional views of scripture and placed humans out of this central spot.
What is the center of the universe?
He formulated the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation after watching an apple fall from a tree.
Who is Sir Isaac Newton?
Galileo spotted four of these orbiting around Jupiter, proving not everything revolves around Earth.
What are Jupiter's moons?
Invented by Evangelista Torricelli, this tool measures air pressure and helps predict the weather.
What is a barometer?
René Descartes famously said, "I think, therefore I am," pushing for this philosophy that relies heavily on human logic and reason.
What is rationalism?
In 1633, Galileo was put on trial by the Roman Inquisition and forced to do this to his scientific findings.
What is recant (take back / deny) his teachings?
This German astronomer used math to prove that the planets orbit the sun in ellipses (oval shapes), not perfect circles.
Who is Johannes Kepler?
Johannes Kepler discovered that planetary paths around the sun look like this squished-circle shape.
What is an ellipse?
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit created this sealed glass tube device to measure hot and cold temperatures.
What is a thermometer?
This invisible force—first calculated by Isaac Newton—keeps the planets in their orbits and pulls objects toward the ground.
What is gravity?
Instead of blindly trusting ancient books or church dogma, scientists of this era insisted on proving ideas through this.
What is observation, experiment, or evidence?
He pioneered the modern study of human anatomy by dissecting human corpses instead of relying on ancient animal-based ideas.
Who is Andreas Vesalius?
This term describes the shift from medieval superstition and ancient texts to a new way of thinking based on observation and reason.
What is the Scientific Revolution?
William Harvey used early dissection and observation to map out this continuous motion inside the human body.
What is the circulation of blood?
This French philosopher and mathematician co-created the Cartesian coordinate system (X and Y graph grid).
Who is René Descartes?
he Scientific Revolution directly paved the way for this 18th-century intellectual movement focused on liberty, democracy, and human rights.
What is the Enlightenment?