DISCUSSION #1 Scientific Revolution
Steven Shapin's The Scientific Revolution (2008) opens with "There was no such thing as the Scientific Revolution" (Introduction, p.1), a bold challenge to the paradigmatic model promoted by Thomas Kuhn. Appraise this argument in light of this week's readings and multimedia, as well as those from the previous week.
DISCUSSION# 2 Natural Magic
Astrology, alchemy, and other forms of natural magic are largely dismissed as pseudoscience or as superstitious today. However, they played an integral role in the development in modern science. Drawing upon the course text and the chapter titled "Magic and the Origins of Modern Science," in Scientific Revolution and the Origins of Modern Science, evaluate the cultural and intellectual importance of natural magic up to and throughout the Scientific Revolution. In your response, make sure to examine who practiced natural magic and why.
DISCUSSION # 3 Peer Assessment Forum 1
The purpose of this forum is for you to prepare assessment questions based upon the sources that you have used in this course. Formulating these questions will allow you to understand the material at a higher level and prepare you for the Final Research Project.
Develop a minimum of two potential assessment questions over the course topics and learning outcomes in Weeks One and Two. You can choose to develop multiple choice questions, short answer questions, or essay questions.
ASSIGNMENT* Scientific Revolution and Popular Memory
The Scientific Revolution holds a powerful place in the popular understanding of science. It is taught in high school physics and history classes, is the subject of entire courses at the college level, and its meaning is still debated by scholars. However, the most popular narrative of the Scientific Revolution is heavily tilted toward Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, and Sir Isaac Newton, with other scientific pioneers often conspicuously absent except for in classes at the college level. First, pick one of the three mentioned above and one of the following or any other scientist discussed in this week's readings.
Rene Descartes
Robert Boyle
Johannes Kepler
Tycho Brahe
Paracelsus
William Harvey
Gottfried Leibnitz
Robert Hooke
Giovanni Cassini
Edmund Halley
Then, building off of your first response to this week's "Scientific Revolution" discussion, write an essay that evaluates the scientific accomplishments of the two scientists and postulate why one is better known in the general public than the other. What does this tell us about how popular memories and narratives are created?
The paper must be at least three pages in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least two scholarly sources, one of which can be found in the Ashford Online Library, and the textbook to support your points. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.