Exam Connection: Change and Continuity

Part of The Royal Society · Section 5 of 15

Exam FocusUnit: Restoration England 1660-1685GCSE

This exam focus covers Exam Connection: Change and Continuity within The Royal Society for GCSE History. Revise The Royal Society in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 5 of 15 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.

📝 Exam Connection: Change and Continuity

Science in the Restoration period shows important change — but also significant continuity. Examiners want you to balance both:

  • Change: New experimental method replacing ancient authorities; Royal Society publishing findings internationally; major discoveries (Newton's laws, Boyle's Law, Hooke's cells)
  • Continuity: Most ordinary people still believed in astrology, witchcraft, folk remedies, and supernatural explanations. The scientific revolution was an elite activity — educated gentlemen, not ordinary people.
  • Continuity: Religion and science were NOT seen as in conflict — Boyle and Newton were devout Christians who saw science as revealing God's design. Newton spent more time on theology than physics.
  • Continuity: Practical applications of scientific discoveries took generations. Newton's laws did not immediately improve everyday life. The gap between scientific discovery and technological application was enormous.

    • Practice questions for The Royal Society

    In which year was the Royal Society founded at Gresham College?

    • A. 1660
    • B. 1642
    • C. 1665
    • D. 1687
    1 markfoundation

    What does the Royal Society's motto 'Nullius in verba' mean?

    • A. Science above all things
    • B. Take nobody's word for it
    • C. Knowledge is power
    • D. Experiment and observe
    1 markfoundation

    Quick recall flashcards

    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.
    What was Micrographia (1665)?
    Robert Hooke's illustrated book of microscope observations, published 1665 by the Royal Society. Showed detailed illustrations of insects, plants, and cells (coining the word 'cell'). Samuel Pepys wrote that he stayed up until 2am reading it, calling it 'the most ingenious book I ever read.'

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