The Rise of Experiment
Overview
The publication in 1704 of Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) second major treatise, the Opticks, came at a significant moment in the development of experimental science. Enthusiasm for empirical study of nature, and skill in manipulating experiments, had been building throughout the previous century, and Newton's account of his own experimental studies of light and of his experimental methods fell on fertile ground. The eighteenth century saw a blossoming of experimental efforts in the study of the physical world, especially in exciting new fields such as electricity.
Background
Galileo's (1564-1642) telescopic investigations and his experiments with inclined planes and falling objects were some of the most remarkable discoveries in the history of seventeenth century science, but they were far from isolated events. From planets to plankton, natural philosophers were studying the world around them by interacting with it in new and important ways. The older tradition of contemplative science, which relied on logic and speculation about causes, was replaced by a new tradition aimed at confronting the world directly through the senses and experience. New instruments, such as telescopes, microscopes, and air pumps were invented and used to investigate realms never seen or created before.
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