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The '''Scientific Revolution''' is a name that some modern historians use to describe what they call the beginning of modern [[science]] in the mid-1500s. At that time natural philosophers (the term scientist was not coined until the 1800s) began to seriously challenge long established classical systems and in the 1700s developed the scientific method, the systematic use of [[hypotheses]], continually tested with [[observations|observation]] and [[experimentation]]. Most historians typically point to [[Copernicus|Copernicus']] publishing of his [[Heliocentrism|heliocentric theory]] as the beginning of this revolution, although the actual starting date is debated.  The heliocentric theory stated that the Earth revolves around the Sun, as opposed to the [[Geocentric theory|geocentric theory]] that Sun revolves around the Earth.<ref>Eg, see http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture10c.html</ref>

The '''Scientific Revolution''' is a name that some modern historians use to describe what they call the beginning of modern [[science]] in the mid-1500s. At that time natural philosophers (the term scientist was not coined until the 1800s) began to make some scientific breakthroughs using the scientific method, the systematic use of [[hypotheses]], continually tested with [[observations|observation]] and [[experimentation]]. Most historians typically point to [[Copernicus|Copernicus']] publishing of his [[Heliocentrism|heliocentric theory]] as the beginning of this revolution, although the actual starting date is debated.  The heliocentric theory stated that the Earth revolves around the Sun, as opposed to the [[Geocentric theory|geocentric theory]] that Sun revolves around the Earth.<ref>Eg, see http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture10c.html</ref>

In fact, Copernicus had no observations or experiments to show that his model was better than others, and his methods were not significantly more accurate than those of Ptolemy that had been in use older cosmological models for over a thousand years.  Rather, his system was indicative of a changing approach the analyzing the natural world: challenging the millenia-held beliefs of antiquity, such as the Ptolemaic and Aristotelian systems, and asserting the ability of natural-philosophers to improve upon them.

In fact, Copernicus had no observations or experiments to show that his model was better than others, and his methods were not significantly more accurate or scientific than those of Ptolemy that had been in use older cosmological models for over a thousand years.  Rather, his system was praised for reasons that have little to do with science. He symbolized the challenging the millenia-held beliefs of antiquity.

The 'scientific revolution,' as it later came to be called, saw relatively rapid change in astronomy, which was still closely tied to mysticism and astrology, as men such as Kepler and Galileo asserted that the solar system was not perfect and round, but contained imperfect bodies and exhibited elliptical motion.

The 'scientific revolution,' as it later came to be called, saw relatively rapid change in astronomy, which was still closely tied to mysticism and astrology, as men such as [[Tycho]], [[Kepler]], and [[Galileo]] made progress understanding the solar system.

The height of the revolution was seen with the expansion of scientific societies such as the [[Royal Society]] in the 17th century, and the establishment of the experimental method (later called the scientific method) and the creation of Newtonian physics, which had enormous impact upon European culture and philosophy in the 1700s.  The 1700 and 1800s saw a massive expansion in countless fields of study. Biology was expanded as thousands of specimens were brought from voyages and colonies world wide to botanical gardens in centres such as London, and were categorized by men such as [[Karl von Linnaeus]].  Chemical inquiry was increasingly popular, and culminated in the discovery of oxygen by [[Joseph Priestley]] and [[Antoine Lavoisier]], ending an ancient belief that air was its own element.  Geological study unearthed countless fossils, which fostered varied debates between those, such as [[Lamarck]] and [[Lyell]], who argued for an old earth or even biological evolution, and [[Catastrophists]], such as [[Georges Cuvier]], who sought to reconcile scientific discovery with literal accounts in the bible.

The height of the so-called revolution was seen with the expansion of scientific societies such as the [[Royal Society]] in the 17th century, and the emphasis on the experimental method (later called the scientific method) and the creation of Newtonian physics, which had enormous impact upon European culture and philosophy in the 1700s.  The 1700 and 1800s saw a massive expansion in countless fields of study. Biology was expanded as thousands of specimens were brought from voyages and colonies world wide to botanical gardens in centres such as London, and were categorized by men such as [[Karl von Linnaeus]].  Chemical inquiry was increasingly popular, and culminated in the discovery of oxygen by [[Joseph Priestley]] and [[Antoine Lavoisier]], ending an ancient belief that air was its own element.  Geological study unearthed countless fossils, which fostered varied debates between those, such as [[Lamarck]] and [[Lyell]], who argued for an old earth or even biological evolution, and [[Catastrophists]], such as [[Georges Cuvier]], who sought to reconcile scientific discovery with literal accounts in the bible.

== Influence of Religion ==  

== Influence of Religion ==