Best of the Best: Revolutionary Scientists Quiz

Answer: Nicolaus Copernicus

Although historians do not agree on the exact dates of the the Scientific Revolution, it is generally believed to have started with the publication of "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium", "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres", by Copernicus. Breaking away from what had been the accepted belief of Ptolemy, that the earth is the center of the universe, Copernicus proposed the heliocentric model, placing the sun at the center.

A Renaissance man of his day, Copernicus was more than a scientist - he was also a physician, scholar, governor, and economic theorist, formulating a quantity theory of money, which stated that the money supply has a direct, proportional relationship with the price level.

This idea was later updated and modified by later economists.

Answer: Galileo Galilei

Galileo's telescope proved that the heliocentric theory set forth by Copernicus was correct. He gathered much information as the result of his observations, including confirmation of the phases of Venus, the discovery of four satellites of Jupiter, which were named the Galilean moons, and an analysis of sunspots.

While Copernicus had been more cautious in publishing his theories, Galileo's writings were widely read, and eventually came to the attention of the Inquisition. Using Psalm 104:5, "the Lord set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved", as evidence, the Inquisition ordered Galileo to abandon his beliefs. Charged with heresy, he was convicted by the Inquisitions and was sentenced to house arrest, and remained there the rest of his life.

Answer: Tycho Brahe

"Astronomiæ Instauratæ Progymnasmata", or "Introduction to the New Astronomy", was published by Tycho Brahe in 1588, was to contain three volumes, one about the new star of 1572, one on the comet of 1577, and about the comets of 1580; the only volume published during his lifetime was the second volume about the comet of 1577.

His assistant, Johannes Kepler, used Brahe's data to develop his three laws of planetary motion. While attending the University of Rostock, Brahe fought in a duel with another student, and lost the bridge of his nose! For the rest of his life he wore a prosthetic, said to be held in place with some sort of paste.

Although many historians have written that the nose was made of gold or silver, a exhumation of his body in 2010 revealed that it was probably made of brass.

Answer: Francis Bacon

Bacon published his book, "Novum Organum", or "New Instrument of Science", in 1620; the book proposed the use of what is called the Baconian Method, which explained a new system of logic that used reduction and inductive reasoning. This method has earned Bacon the title "Father of Empiricism", a theory which states that knowledge comes only or primarily from sensory experience.

Unfortunately, Bacon's tenure as Lord Chancellor of England came to an rather embarrassing end; he was heavily in debt and was brought up on charges of corruption.

His fine was paid by King James I, and he spent very little time in prison. However, he was banned from public office for the rest of his life.

Answer: Isaac Newton

Published by Isaac Newton in 1687, "Principia", or "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy", laid the foundation for the study of classical mechanics, which sets forth the physical laws that describe the motion of bodies under the influence of a system of forces.

In this document, Newton formulated the laws of motion and gravitation, which were cornerstones of scientific study for centuries to come. He also built one of the first working reflecting telescopes, which worked better than the refracting telescope of his time.

Independently, he and Gottfried Leibniz developed calculus. Considered by many today to be the most influential scientists of all time, he was also held in high esteem by the scientists and intellectuals of his day. Alexander Pope wrote "Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night; / God said "Let Newton be" and all was light".

Answer: Giordano Bruno

A Dominican friar, Bruno's cosmic pluralism theory basically proposed that there could be life on other planets. He also wrote extensively about the art of memory; in the picture is one of his mnemonic devices. Accused of the denial of basic Catholic tenets, such as the Trinity, divinity of Christ, and virginity of Mary, Bruno was found guilty by the Inquisition and subsequently burned at the stake.

While it is still unknown as to which of his theories prompted his arrest, Bruno is honored today as a martyr for science.

It must be noted here that all of the revolutionary scientists in Roman Catholic countries faced possible scrutiny by the Inquisition, as their theories were usually in direct conflict with the religious beliefs of the time.

Answer: Andreas Vesalius

"De humani corporis fabrica", or "On the Fabric of the Human Body", is considered to be one of the most influential books written about human anatomy. In it, Vesalius challenged the ancient view of Galen, an ancient Greek physician. Eventually his research led him to the discovery that Galen's writings had been based on animal dissections rather than human because human dissection was banned in his day. Galen was so respected that it was difficult, even when confronted with evidence, for scientists to believe that he had been incorrect, and Vesalius was continually attacked and ostracized for practicing dissections and his new ideas. Soon after the publication of his book, he was invited to the court of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and continued in that position under the emperor's son, Philip II, who made him a count palatine.

Answer: Evangelista Torricelli

Perhaps best known for his invention of the mercury barometer, Torricelli also studied projectiles, and gave the first scientific definition of the cause of wind, saying "winds are produced by differences of air temperature, and hence density, between two regions of the earth". Also working in mathematics, he is famous for the discovery of Torricelli's Trumpet, which is also called Gabriel's Horn, a geometric figure that has infinite surface area but finite volume.

Answer: Robert Boyle

Considered to be one of the first founders of modern chemistry, Robert Boyle's book, "The Sceptical Chymist", is considered to be a cornerstone in the field of chemistry. Interestingly, he was also an alchemist, and experimented with the transmutation of metals. Apparently he was so sure of himself in this endeavor that he campaigned for a repeal of a statue by Henry IV against multiplying gold and silver! Not only did he formulate Boyle's Law, which describes the relationship between the absolute pressure and volume of a gas, but he is given credit for the discovery of oxygen.

Answer: John Napier

The eighth Laird of Merchiston, John Napier, is noted for the invention of logarithms, which has been given credit as "the largest single factor in the general adoption of decimal arithmetic". In addition, he created his Napier Bones, used for the calculation of products and quotients of numbers.

A man of many interests, Napier also dabbled in alchemy and necromancy. The "neper", which is sometimes is as an alternative unit to the decibel, is named after him, as is the Neper crater on the moon.