In the 1500s, many people believed that Earth was the center of the universe, an idea taught by ancient thinkers like Aristotle and Ptolemy. This belief, called the geocentric theory, said that the Sun, stars, and planets all moved around Earth. But during the Scientific Revolution, people started questioning these old ideas and began using observation and experiments to understand the world better. Nicolaus Copernicus suggested that the Sun, not Earth, was at the center of the solar system, which became known as the heliocentric theory. Later, Johannes Kepler used math to prove that planets move in oval-shaped paths around the Sun. Galileo used a telescope to observe space and discovered moons orbiting Jupiter, which showed that not everything revolves around Earth. Even though the Catholic Church disagreed and forced Galileo to say he was wrong, the new ideas about space kept spreading.
As more scientists looked to nature and tested their ideas, they began developing a process called the scientific method to solve problems. Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes were key thinkers who helped shape this method using observation and reason. Isaac Newton later explained gravity and showed that the universe worked according to natural laws, which he believed were created by God. Scientific discoveries grew in other areas too—like with the invention of the microscope and thermometer, which helped people see germs and measure temperature. Doctors like Andreas Vesalius studied the human body more closely, and Edward Jenner created the first vaccine to protect people from smallpox. These discoveries changed how humans understood both the Earth and themselves.
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