Science Challenges Accepted Beliefs

5 Where would scientific research be today if religion had completely suc- ceeded in destroying scientific thought? What if Copernicus were unable to postulate that the sun was the center of the planetary system? Why would such a discovery be considered important? Remember that Nicolo- aus Copernicus published De Revolutionibus Orbium Caelestium in 1543. His treatise stated that the sun was the center of our planetary system and that the remaining planets revolved around it.
10 His postulations became known as heliocentric theory, and put the sun as the center of the universe. Prior to his writings, the popular theory during the 16th century was geocentric theory. According to this view, the sun revolved around the Earth, essentially placing all humanity at the center of the known universe.
15 It seems farfetched today but geocentric theory was not readily refuted during the Renaissance because society had no capability to actually see the universe beyond the atmosphere. There were no satellites. Nor were there any high-resolution telescopes. Furthermore, many men who had limited scientific or mathematical training were in positions of immense power, either as kings or as heads of religious groups.
20 Essentially, he confounded the view that human beings were the center of the universe and proposed that the sun was at the center of our planetary system. Heliocentric theory was considered anathema to the teachings of Christian theology, and Copernicus had politely refuted the accepted cosmology of Ptolemy.
25 Copernicus avoided being punished by the Roman Catholic Church by focusing on the findings of prominent philosophers prior to him, men of firm repute accepted by the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. He surreptitiously reinterpreted prior teachings. In addition, by alluding his discoveries to reputable astronomers accepted by the Church, he was able to establish political techniques that future scientists (such as Galileo and Charles Darwin) could utilize to challenge accepted religious beliefs.

16. Based on the passage, geocentric theory stated

  • v. that man evolved from lower forms of hominids.
  • w. that a large explosion occurred billions of years ago causing primordial matter to form.
  • x. that creation science was a clever way to inject religion into the public education system.
  • y. that the planet Venus was the center of the known universe.
  • z. that the sun revolved around the earth.

17. Which of the following statements would not reflect the viewpoints of someone who has accepted the validity behind heliocentric theory?

  • l. Humanity is not the center of the universe.
  • m. Man is the most important species, due to his place in the center of the universe.
  • n. The sun is at the center of our planetary system
  • o. The planets revolve around the sun.
  • p. The sun exerts tremendous energy on the planets that circle around it.

18. The passage implies that scientists who discover new theories that circumvent existing religious beliefs will encounter

  • v. adulation from their fellow scientists.
  • w. respect and admiration from those whose theories have been disproved.
  • x. censure and often severe punishment from very powerful non-scientists.
  • y. vast fortunes made available to them due to the nature of the patent system.
  • z. tenure opportunities from major European universities.

19. The writer implies in lines 13 through 17 that human society determines scientific fact from fiction based on

  • l. what they can actually see with their eyes and what they can understand with their limited scientific knowledge.
  • m. committees of lettered scientists who evaluate their steeped understanding of various sciences.
  • n. detailed evaluation of scientific data.
  • o. deferring to those who are eminently qualified to review the data.
  • p. careful review of an unbiased report which reflects all the facts of the situation.

20. The main idea of the passage above is that

  • v. scientific research is not affected by the opinions of powerful megalomaniacs.
  • w. all scientific endeavor must be certified as non-heretical by the Roman Catholic Church.
  • x. Copernicus, in publishing his views on heliocentric theory, took a grave personal risk in order to expand humanity’s knowledge-base.
  • y. organized religion is a major proponent of advanced scientific research.
  • z. organized religion leaves science to the scientists.