Scientific Revolution

[civverguy]

I just became interested in the scientific revolution. So I was wondering, who were some of the most influential scientists? How influential was it and how much contributions did it bring? Also, can anybody tell me about Isaac Newton? I'm doing a report on him.

 

[GinandTonic]

If he saw further than others it was because he stood on the sholders of giants.

Descartes and the method of doubt. Missed his own point of course, but hit the nail on the head all the same.

EDIT -

The Royal Society, of which Newton was an early member could be credited (insofar as anyone can) with the concept of some semi-formalised idea of peer review. Hence the significance of the oft quoted sholders-of-giants line.

Off topicish - Invented the cat flap while splitting the spectrum. Rented house as plague in cambridge that year forced him into the country. Delicate optical experiments foiled by the cat wanting him to open the door. Landlady very attached to the cat and not to be gainsaid. Invented the cat-flap as a work-around. Genius.

 

[History_Buff]

Newton's biggest contribution to modern science is probbaly Calculus. He and Liebnitz discovered Calculus independantly (Newton in England, Liebnitz in Germany IIRC). Using integration, he derived the familiar set of equations that define Newtonian physics (Or at least thats how we learn to derive them nowadays). That and his very famous theory of gravity.

But the critical moment or the Scientific Revolution is the acceptance of the Scientific method. The idea is that any real theory should have potentially falsifiable claims attached to them, and that repeatable experiments can be used to test and verify these claims.

 

[Plotinus]

Newton discovered the calculus first (he called it "fluxions") but Leibniz discovered it independently (while in Paris, I believe) and published it first. Today, mathematicians use Leibniz' notation. The refusal of English mathematicians to conform to this standard (they believed Leibniz to be a plagiarist, and stuck solidly to Newton's version) held back English mathematics for many years...

 

[Stolen Rutters]

Newton discovered the calculus first (he called it "fluxions") but Leibniz discovered it independently (while in Paris, I believe) and published it first. Today, mathematicians use Leibniz' notation. The refusal of English mathematicians to conform to this standard (they believed Leibniz to be a plagiarist, and stuck solidly to Newton's version) held back English mathematics for many years...

Yeah, Leibniz' notation is much, much easier to manipulate. Newton's notation looks more efficient on the ink.

edit - However, after looking into the details of both notations, it looks like we use both IRL.

 

[Naskra]

Newton discovered the calculus first (he called it "fluxions") but Leibniz discovered it independently (while in Paris, I believe) and published it first. Today, mathematicians use Leibniz' notation. The refusal of English mathematicians to conform to this standard (they believed Leibniz to be a plagiarist, and stuck solidly to Newton's version) held back English mathematics for many years...

Will this myth never die? Mr. Plotinus you are parrotting secondary sources.

Newton's notation is used for the calculus of variations with considerable success.

 

[BCLG100]

From memory the Scientific Revolution was less of a revolution and more of an evolution of thoughts in general society, the vast majority of what was presented wasn't new and had been theorised many times before, the difference was society was now willing to listen and accept theories which no longer needed to be connected to divine law.

 

[Ambidexter]

I think George Boole might feel slighted if it were claimed he was held back by English veneration of Newton.

 

[Plotinus]

Will this myth never die? Mr. Plotinus you are parrotting secondary sources.

Newton's notation is used for the calculus of variations with considerable success.

Ah, then I apologise. I'm afraid I know very little about maths.