Introduction The early modern period of European history marked a substantial development of thought in many areas, such as politics, sociology, and natural sciences. The works of many early modern scientists, such as Newton and Galileo, are now at the foundation of all the contemporary scientific knowledge, whereas other theories, such as Herschel’s theory of sunspots as atmospheric openings, were discarded in light of further evidence. Still, the development of scientific thought in the early modern period is evident in every European country, and early modern science itself is a particular subject that has several distinctive characteristics. Experimentative Perhaps, one of the most distinctive features of early modern scientific development was the substitution of purely theoretical discussions with experiments aimed at obtaining proper evidence. For instance, Shapin writes, “Seventeenth-century England witnessed the rise and institutionalization of a program devoted to systematic experimentation, accompanied by literature explicitly describing and defending practical aspects of that program” (373). Indeed, whereas the earlier stages of scientific thought were filled rather with “mere belief” (Shapin 375) than with proven knowledge, the early modern period promoted the idea that knowledge has to be supported by facts. For example, Hooke describes his observations of “physiological microbodies”, conducted with the use of a microscope, in 1667, in a detailed account with illustrations of the instruments and tools used for observations. Even though his experiment involved studying basic objects, like needles, each study is thoroughly documented for reliability and specificity: “But if viewed with a very good Microscope, we may find that the top of a Needle (though as to the sense very sharp, appears a broad, blunt, and very irregular end; not resembling a cone, as imagin’d, but only a piece of a tapering body, wit a great part of the top removed, or deficient” (Hooke 1-2). Institutionalized One of the factors that contributed to the rise of experimental science was the popularization of scientific studies in universities. Shapin explains that in the early modern period, experimentation in institutional settings was a way of bounding and disciplining the scientists, while at the same time it offered a chance to prove the validity and reliability of their theories (373-374). The rise in the number of universities all across Europe, as well as in the number of scientific programs available, facilitated the development of experimental thought, since, as Feingold and Navarro-Brotons argue, the universities provided all kinds of support for the scientists, including employment, research facilities, and expensive instruments (1). The universities also became the bodies that promoted interest in new scientific discoveries: “Although the universities were sometimes slow to assimilate new scientific knowledge, when they did so it helped not only to remove the suspicion that the new science was intellectually subversive but also to make science a respectable and even prestigious activity” (Feingold and Navarro-Brotons 1). Revolutionary A lot of the scientific theories and discoveries made in the early modern period, particularly those related to the understanding of our place in the universe, were also revolutionary and in some way defi