Leaders of the Scientific Revolution

Women were not allowed to attend academic institutions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but many were highly educated and contributed significantly to understanding laws of science and nature. Many are unfamiliar with the women who were instrumental to the Scientific Revolution: the naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian; Margaret Cavendish, author of scientific books; physicist Émilie du Châtelet; Maria Agnesi, a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at the University of Bologna; and astronomer Caroline Herschel, among others. This book explores the context of women's involvement in the Scientific Revolution and their contributions to botany, astronomy, mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry.

During the fifteenth century, the Scientific Revolution signaled a major shift in the way people viewed the natural world. Today, René Descartes is perhaps best known as the father of modern Western philosophy, but he also played an important role in the development of a rational approach toward scientific questions. He was a gifted mathematician and his examinations of the natural world led him to develop theories about light, the formation of the universe, and how the human mind works. This biography shows how Descartes's rational method inspired his own discoveries and continues to resonate today.

A key figure in the Scientific Revolution, Francis Bacon laid the foundations for the modern scientific method by stressing the importance of gathering data and testing results. Aspects of three works are examined for their contributions to science: The Advancement of Learning, Novum Organum, and New Atlantis. A final chapter-especially relevant in the light of the current environmental crisis-looks at Bacon's notion that man should use all of nature for his benefit. This volume can be easily integrated into a science, social studies, or English curriculum and used to promote Common Core State Standards for critical thinking.

Johannes Kepler was just twenty-three years old when he became a teacher of mathematics and astronomy at the university in Graz, Austria, in 1594. For the next thirty-five years, his intensive research based on the theories of Nicolaus Copernicus resulted in astonishing new ideas on the physics of the solar system. Most important was his realization that the planets move in elliptical orbits. Kepler's laws greatly influenced the later findings of Sir Isaac Newton and other famous scientists. Kepler is considered one of the most important thinkers of the Scientific Revolution.

For thousands of years, the general consensus among learned people was that Earth was the center of the universe. This belief system remained unchallenged until a quiet, unassuming man wondered if his predecessors had gotten it wrong. The father of modern astronomy, Nicolaus Copernicus was a doctor, church canon, and protector of lands. In his free time, he studied the night sky, spending over thirty years observing and recording the heavens. In this historical biography, readers explore the philosophical and religious aspects of scientific discovery during the Renaissance. Sidebars offer additional information, while a timeline helps readers trace the events of Copernicus's life.

Isaac Newton was a revolutionary thinker who changed how we look at everything from gravity and optics to astronomy. He even invented a whole new type of math: calculus! This book follows Newton's journey of discovery from his childhood on an English farm through his years learning and teaching at Oxford and working with the Royal Society. It provides in-depth biographical and science information and puts Newton's immense discoveries in historical context. Enthralling and accessible text allows students to gain a new understanding of important STEM topics while learning about Newton's many discoveries and the complex and fascinating man behind them.

Robert Boyle was one of history's most significant scientists. His name can be linked to some of the earliest breakthroughs in chemistry. Perhaps his most famous contribution to science is Boyle's law, which states that if the volume of a gas is decreased, the pressure increases proportionally. He was also one of the first scientists to conduct systemized experiments in order to prove a theory or idea. In this book, readers can learn about these and many more of Boyle's groundbreaking discoveries. A compelling main text, informative sidebars, and a detailed timeline help students contextualize Boyle's life and his impact on history.

Beginning in the fifteenth century, the Scientific Revolution transformed the way humans viewed the natural world. Galileo Galilei, sometimes called "the father of modern science," was one of the towering intellectual figures of this time. Remembered today as the astronomer who discovered the moons of Jupiter, Galileo was also a mathematician, philosopher, and inventor. His dedication to scientific truth led him into conflict with doctrines of the Catholic Church, however, and he was notoriously found guilty of heresy by the Inquisition. This biography demonstrates how Galileo's commitment to scientific inquiry despite official opposition remains relevant to the present day.