Setting the Scene
📖 Setting the Scene
1665: A young Cambridge student named Isaac Newton retreated to his family home in Lincolnshire to escape the plague. In the next two years, he developed calculus, discovered the laws of motion, and began work on gravity. It was perhaps the most productive period in scientific history. Newton wasn't alone — the Restoration saw an explosion of scientific thinking. In 1660, a group of gentlemen meeting at Gresham College formed what became the Royal Society — the world's oldest scientific academy still in existence. Charles II gave it a royal charter in 1662. Science was becoming respectable, even fashionable.
History glossary
- What is 'Nullius in verba'?
- Royal Society motto — 'take nobody's word for it.' Emphasises experimental proof over authority. Rejected Aristotle and ancient Greek ideas in favour of observation and experiment — the core of the Scientific Revolution.
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📝 Exam Connection: Change and Continuity
Science in the Restoration period shows important change — but also significant continuity. Examiners want you to balance both:
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Quiz · Question 1 of 10
In which year was the Royal Society founded at Gresham College?
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