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The Day the Universe Changed is a ten-part documentary television series presented by science historian James Burke. The series tells a series of stories of how specific scientific and technological advances have shaped the Western way of life. The series posits that when one's view of the universe changes, the universe itself effectively changes.
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Episode Summary
As philosophers and scientists continued their research and theorizing, what became known as the Scientific Revolution came into direct contrast with the teachings of the Catholic church. The church's authority came into question as scientific evidence challenged historical biblical teachings.Jump to Episode
- It Started with the Greeks
- Medieval Conflict: Faith and Reason
- Scientific Imagination in the Renaissance
- Printing Transforms Knowledge
- Science Revises the Heavens
- The Factory and Marketplace Revolution
- Social Impacts of New Medical Knowledge
- Darwin's Revolution
- The New Physics: Newton Revised
- Changing Knowledge, Changing Reality
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Science Revises the Heavens Part One
*@-2:20: James Burke boasts that he can go to any library and find an almanac that will report the exact moment the sun will rise in Vienna
*@-3:03: In 1535, there was a crisis in Vienna: Martin Luther and the Protestants were causing headaches for the Catholic Church
*@-3:56: church representatives from all over Europe agreed to meet officially in Trento, Italy
*@-4:30: It took the church ten years just to agree on what the Council of Trent was going to be about
*@-5:13: The Council of Trent specified church doctrine
*@-5:56: Just for questioning one word in the Bible, 16th Century Europeans could be thrown in prison
*@-6:00: The Council also decided that the Catholic Church had to draw more crowds, so they decided to add more "razzmatazz" to the churches, including lots of Baroque Art
*@-9:21: In the 16th Century, it was still widely believed that the earth was the center of the universe
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Science Revises the Heavens Part Two
*@-0:40: James Burke introduces Nicolaus Copernicus, who, in 1543, presented the Council of Trent with a manuscript detailing his theory that the earth revolved around the sun
*@-4:16: 16th Century Venetian mathemitician Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia studied the trajectory of cannon's
*@-5:10: In 1551, Tartaglia translated a book written by Archimedes that described what caused boats to float. Italians enthusiasm caused the book to become a best seller in Venice
*@-7:24: Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia's theory gained credence
*@-9:11: Plenty of gravitational experiments followed
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Science Revises the Heavens Part Three
*@-0:13: James Burke is on an island between Sweden and Denmark
*@-0:29: In 1572, Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe described what is now known as parallax
*@-4:14: In 1604, Galileo concluded that everything fell at the same rate. It was the first time nature had been described using the principles of mathematics. Thus began the Scientific Revolution
*@-5:59: In 1605, these theories were dangerous because Galileo's theories contradicted those of Aristotle
*@-6:34: In 1609, Galileo had his first look through a telescope. Soon after, he sold merchants on the idea of using the telescope to observe incoming ships, estimate their needs, and thus take advantage of prospective consumers
*@-7:57: In 1610, Galileo turned his telescope upwards and released his book, ''Starry Messenger,'' which blew 2500 years of authority and status quo apart
*@-8:44: ''Starry Messenger''provided details about the moon's craters, Jupiter's moons and sunspots
*@-9:12: Nicolaus Copernicus was right: the sun didn't orbit around the earth
*@-9:50: Scientifically speaking, the Bible was wrong
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Science Revises the Heavens Part Four
*@-0:24: Galileo was put in prison by the Church because they disagreed on how to spread this new wisdom
*@-1:03: WHile in Prague in 1613, Tycho Brahe studied the path of comets
*@-1:52: Tycho Brahe's assistant, Johannes Kepler, made new discoveries in the fields of astronomy and mathematics
*@-3:50: Johannes Kepler studied the laws of planetary motion
*@-5:51: Holland was the home of sums; Amsterdam was a tolerant and financial
*@-6:55: The theories of Rene Descartes, Galileo and Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia show how mathematics was used to create equations
*@-8:19: 17th Century England began producing instruments to propel the Scientific Revolution, including calculators, thermometers, barometers, microscopes and clocks. These new instruments and techniques made it possible to measure nearly everything
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Science Revises the Heavens Part Five
*@-0:32: All this math contributed to Sir Isaac Newton's Theory of Gravity
*@-2:02: In 1757, Halleys Comet was due, but Roger Joseph Boscovich was watching and knew it would be 19 months late
*@-3:10: Because of Roger Joseph Boscovich, the church's prohibition of Nicolaus Copernicus was lifted
*@-4:40: James Burke describes how we are all cogs in the cosmic clock
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The Day the Universe Changed Episode 5 Questions
What would you change on this university's website? 4 AnswersI think it is very well made. It has a lot of interesting information like guest speakers. Change your references URL (no spaces)to the end of the sentence ... read more
Have you watched any of James Burkes documentaries? 2 AnswersAbsolutely! I loved both Connections and The Day the Universe Changed. The episodes that stand out were one where he took a whack at a cow carcass with a claymo... read more
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