production
Skip to Content

HS1001: THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION AND THE ORIGINS OF MODERN SCIENCE (2016-2017)

Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27


Course Overview

Why did Copernicus put the sun at the centre of the universe? Why did William Harvey claim that the blood circulates around the body? Was Isaac Newton really inspired by that falling apple? The Scientific Revolution is the name given to the radical transformation of Western science created by these and other figures between 1500 and 1700. This course explores the strangely familiar world of alchemy and astronomy, of atoms and astrolabes – in order to discover the origins of contemporary culture's most powerful force: modern science. Download course guide.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 1
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Old Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Ben Marsden

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Either Programme Level 1 or Programme Level 2

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

The Scientific Revolution is the name given to the radical transformation of Western science by Copernicus, Galileo, Harvey and Newton between 1500 and 1700. What were the 'origins of modern science'? This course explores the lives and work of these and other key figures in the history of science. It asks what problems they were responding to and how they reacted to social, political and religious forces of their times. The course introduces students to familiar and unfamiliar sciences (from alchemy to astronomy), assesses how scientific practitioners disseminated their ideas, and investigates why new groups arose claiming that science could create useful technologies. It asks what difference telescopes, microscopes and other new machines made to scientific practice. Were science and religion in conflict? How did scientists decide that more could be learnt by doing experiments instead of looking over ancient books? What, then, were the 'origins of modern science'?


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt

  • 2000-word essay (30%)
  • Tutorial participation (10%)
  • 2-hour examination (60%)

Resit

  • 2-hour examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback

Feedback will be given by course instructors in the form of personal conversation with students in tutorials, detailed written comments on all submitted written work, and, orally, following examination.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

Compatibility Mode

We have detected that you are have compatibility mode enabled or are using an old version of Internet Explorer. You either need to switch off compatibility mode for this site or upgrade your browser.