What was the significance of the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century?
The Scientific Revolution, a period of great scientific discovery and innovation during the 17th century, fundamentally transformed the way humanity understands the natural world. It marked a dramatic shift from Aristotelian and medieval scholasticism towards empirical observation, inductive reasoning, and the development of new scientific methodologies.

One of the significant figures of the Scientific Revolution was Nicolaus Copernicus, whose book "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres" was published in the early 16th century, providing a comprehensive heliocentric model of the universe. However, the implications of Copernican heliocentrism weren't fully realized until the 17th century.