The Scientific Revolution

A period in which observation, mathematics and experiment reshaped how Europeans understood nature.

Background

Renaissance scholars recovered ancient texts and began to question their authority. New instruments, better printing and trade networks spread information, and universities, courts and learned societies created places for discussion.

Course of events

In 1543 Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a sun-centred model of the universe and Andreas Vesalius published his detailed study of human anatomy. Johannes Kepler described planetary motion, Galileo Galilei used the telescope to study the heavens, and Isaac Newton's Principia of 1687 united terrestrial and celestial mechanics in a single mathematical framework.

Legacy

The period established experiment and mathematical reasoning as central to the study of nature. The founding of bodies such as the Royal Society in 1660 helped create a lasting culture of scientific publication and debate.