The Renaissance began in Italy in the 1300s and then spread throughout Europe in the 1500s and 1600s. It came about due to a change in thinking. In an effort to learn, people began to want to understand the world around them. This study of the world and how it works was the beginning of a new era of science. “People were curious and questioned the known wisdom of the church. They began to use experimentation and observation to solve worldly problems.” (Johnson). Many Renaissance intellects concentrated on trying to define and understand the laws of nature and the physical world. During the Renaissance, great advances occurred in science and technology, as well as other fields. Gunpowder was invented around 1040. This later led to the invention of other destructive devices. Although it is hard to believe, rockets were launched as fireworks and weapons in China in the early 1230s. This led William Congreve to develop rockets for use during wars. Furthermore, from the invention of gunpowder came firearms and other projectile artillery. “These new inventions greatly affected the way war was fought. No more hand-to-hand combat with implicit rules” (Bellis). Even with these new weapons came a greater number of casualties. In 1410 the first portable clock was developed in Florence, Italy, by Filippo Brunelleschi. Before this mechanic, clocks were large, stationary devices. The spring clock made it possible to always know the time. Subsequent improvements were made by Galileo who invented the pendulum in 1581. The pendulum allowed much more precise clocks to be made. “Although Galileo is credited with inventing the pendulum, his design for a clock was not realized before his death” (About.com)....... middle of document ......ter perfected by scientists such as Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton. The Renaissance period also brought an era of exploration. The expeditions of Ferdinand Magellan, Jacques Cartier and Sir Walter Raleigh paved the way for the voyage of the Mayflower. Christopher Columbus undertook his first voyage at the age of fourteen. He was an educated man and knew that the world was round and thought that a ship could possibly reach the Far East from the opposite direction. On August 3, 1492, Columbus sailed the blue ocean. His goal was to spread Christianity and bring back gold, spices and silks from the Far East. The Renaissance was a time of creativity and change in Europe. It produced many achievements in the fields of art, literature and science, but above all it produced a new concept of how people think about themselves, others and the world around them..