Age of Experimentation Flashcards
(35 cards)
What concept is closely associated with the birth of experimentalism?
Lack of refrigeration.
What group of people was meat restricted to in medieval times and why?
Restricted to upper classes and priests. No refrigeration, would go bad.
What did the Arabs have to offer Europeans in terms of trade? Why did they not want to trade with Europeans?
- Spices
- Saw them as lower class, dirty, with nothing to offer
What did the Arabs want in return for their trades?
Gold.
What are two significant texts on alchemy? When were they written?
- Physica et mystica 200 BC
- The Secrete of Secrets - Razi Al 850 AD
What were the two goals of alchemy?
- Elixir of life
2. Transmutation
Who was the last alchemist? What was his bestselling book about? How did he die?
- James Price
- “making gold from mercury”
- Suicide, “gentlemen I forgot something”, walked through door and killed himself
What are the 4 important approaches towards science that were discussed in class?
- Experimental approach
- By 1600s, producing dyes, perfumes
- Alchemy - chemistry
- Most famous scientists were alchemists, Robert Boyle, Sceptical Chemist
What society was James Price a member of?
Royal Society.
What was William Gildbert associated with?
- His text De Magnate
- Magnetism - electricity
- Repeatable experiments
What was Francis Bacon associated with?
- New method (experimentalism) to undermine Aristotle.
- his methodology for establishing “facts”
What is a controversy Bacon is famously associated with.
Maybe he wrote Shakespeare’s plays. He was a great writer.
What are Bacon’s 5 rules by which laws of nature will be discovered?
- Repeatable experiments
- Reductionism (taking it to smallest components possible)
- Objectivity
- Public witnessing
- Scientific publications
What is the Instauratio Magna? Who wrote it?
- Bacon wrote it.
- A novel which describes a new methodology of how science and knowledge is power.
What was on the cover of the Instauratio Magna? What did this signify?
The pillars of Hercules, aka edge of Mediterranean. Represents border of ancient knowledge. Cover implies we must move past pillars and expand our knowledge.
What did Giordano Bruno believe in?
Heliocentrism.
Who was Robert Merton influenced by?
Puritans, critiques of ancient knowledge.
What is Millenarianism?
The idea that the second coming of Jesus would be coming up soon, i.e. the end of the world is soon.
How was the Royal Society of London funded? How was the Academy of sciences in France funded?
London - Privately
France - Government
What did the Royal Society and the Academy of sciences thrive upon?
Making money, creating a “middle class” by utilizing science and technology.
What were the Philosophical Transactions of 1665?
First scientific journals, nothing to do with philosophy.
What are some of Newton’s greatest accomplishments?
‘Inventing’ fluxions (calculus), and laws of gravity and motion.
What year was “anno mirabilis”? What does this mean?
1666, wonderful year.
What did Newton do with his new discoveries? Why?
Nothing, he didn’t publish and did not follow Baconian system. He was an alchemist.
