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100
Claudius Ptolemy
Ptolemy argued that Earth was the center of the universe in 100 A.D. He claimed that the sun, stars, planets, and moon traveled backwards and slightly out of orbit around the Earth. The theory, called the geocentric or the Earth-centered theory, believed for many centuries, changed the way people thought because Ptolemy gave people a different way at looking at the Earth and science. It also challenged the ideas of astronomers, as models and new thoughts became more advanced and difficult. -
1200
Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon, a philosopher and scientist of the 1200s, was one of the first to support experimental science. He mainly practiced alchemy, but also studied mathematics and astronomy. He led to future advancements in the world because of his willingness to research and come up with new ideas, especially in scientific experimentation. Bacon challenged and changed the way people thought because of his proposal of flying machines, ships and carriages which would become a new way of transportation. -
1543
Andreas Vesalius
Andreas Vesalius, a Flemish scientist, created a new study of anatomy. Because he challenged authorities, he revolutionized the study of biology and medicine, through his work in anatomy and the human body. Additionally, Vesalius changed the way people thought because of his published seven-volume book called On the Fabric of he Human Body, which illustrations of the human body help readers gain a visual understanding of each component. -
1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
The Polish scientist began to think differently about geocentric theory. Instead, he claimed that the sun was the center of the universe. He then developed the heliocentric, or the Sun-centered theory. Copernicus had an impact on the world because even though at first people paid little attention to his theory, he did challenge the way people thought and brought a new perspective that changed the initial idea of the universe. However, later after his death, his idea will be taken seriously. -
Invention of the Microscope
Dutch optician Hans Jansen and his son Zacharias created one of the greatest advancements, the compound microscope. This invention opened up a new part of science that was unknown, such as the structure of cells and the ability to see different parts of plants, animals, and fungi. This changed the world because without it, we wouldn't know all parts of the cells and there would be more illnesses that we wouldn't be able to fight against, since cells help prevent the body from becoming sick. -
Johannes Kepler
Kepler, a German astronomer, published the laws of planetary motion in 1609.He always thought that Copernicus' claim was correct, however with his observations, he not only proved that planets orbit the sun, but he also revealed that their paths were not in perfect circles. This is impacting because his thinking provided a base for Isaac Newton to discover the law of universal gravitation. Not only that, but we now know how far each planet is from the sun and how long it takes to make and orbit. -
William Harvey
An English physician, William Harvey, used laboratory experiments to study the circulation of blood in the human body. He informed that blood is pumped through a system of arteries and veins by observing the body's most important muscle, the heart. This is important because blood provides the body with oxygen, nutrients, and helps with cell growth. This challenged and changed the way people thought because it opened up new discoveries, like the way we digest food and the tissues of the body. -
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, a strong believer in no assumption could be trusted unless it could be proven by repeatable experiments. He then went on to say that facts could only be demonstrated through physical actions, rather than through thinking or reasoning. In 1620, he published Novum Organum, a book that outlined the new system of knowledge. This impacted the world because it changed the way people looked at information and challenged their thoughts too. -
Telescope is invented
With his invention of the telescope, Galileo Galilei made distant things appear larger. Because of that, he was able to see things never seen before like mountains, valleys, rings around Saturn and spots on the sun. His invention has had an effect on the way people think today because he changed the way you can observe things. For example, telescopes have been used to see new planets in space, as well as craters in the moon. He has challenged our thinking based on original beliefs too. -
René Descartes
As a French philosopher and mathematician, Descartes found it important that all assumptions had to be proven on the basis of known facts. With knowledge in many areas such as geometry, algebra, astronomy, and physical sciences, he came up with a description that led to the law of friction. This has left an impact because it has changed and made an important connection between geometry and algebra, allowing for a different challenge. -
Robert Boyle
Boyle helped to develop the modern science of chemistry. Since chemistry focuses on the composition of matter and how it changes, in 1662 when he showed that temperature and pressure affect the space that a gas takes up, his ideas led him to discover more about air and much more. Overall, Boyle changed science because of his strong argue of principles and methods, giving him his name of "Father of Chemistry". -
Antoni van Leeuwenoek
Another Dutch scienist, Antoni van Leeuwenoek, used the microscope to discover bacteria. He started off with the "animalcules", then going on to write about new, tiny life forms never seen by the human eye before. After that, he was able to differentiate bacteria and protozoans from rainwater, pond water, the human mouth and intestine. Leeuwenoek's discoveries of bacteria and protozoans challenged and changed the world because with new information, more and more can be learned. -
Gottfried Leibniz
When Gottfried Liebnitz and Isaac Newton worked independently, they changed and developed a new side of mathematics, called calculus, even though they created separate ideas. By creating calculus, there was a new, mature branch of mathematics. It is also a challenging way to think and look at different models. -
Isaac Newton
The English scientist decided to test the theories of Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo, through many experiments and measurements. He observed the force that holds the planets in their orbits and the force that causes the objects to fall and suggested the law of universal gravitation, and binded together the movement of all things. His work created an impact because his laws of motion are still applied today in everything from cars to seat belts and changed the way people saw the world. -
Oxygen is Discovered
Joseph Priestley, an English chemist, discovered the element of oxygen in 1774. Oxygen is very important for many reasons, but one of the biggest is so that people can live. Priestly also had success in finding electricity with Benjamin Franklin. This discovery led to experiments such as electrical attraction, and to even bigger conclusions in chemistry, finding different types of gases. -
Element Oxygen gets named
After finding the element of oxygen, Antoine Lavoisier named it. This was an impact because if Lavoisier and Priestley hadn't met to link thoughts about oxygen, there wouldn't be a significant future in chemistry.
