It all began with the travesty of the bubonic plague. Carried by fleas onto rodents, thousands of people lost their lives before it was all over. After the plague, Western Europe went through a period of “rebirth,” called the Renaissance. This period of time was ruled by the esteemed Queen Elizabeth I and is also called the Elizabethan era. As the Elizabethan era was a time of great opportunity, many advances were made in the fields of science and mathematics, exploration, industry, culture, and the arts, all implemented by the rulers of that time. For starters, many scientists and mathematicians discovered things and established principles, such as the scientific method, that are still practiced today. After the bubonic plague, London's population increased by 400% (Pressley). The invention of the printing press also contributed to the spread of knowledge. Furthermore, “the Middle Ages did not ignore science at all” (Alchin). Arguably the most famous astronomers of all time, Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei revolutionized the field. Copernicus theorized that the Earth, along with other planets, revolves around the sun; a contradiction to the common belief that the sun rotates around the Earth. On the other hand, Galileo built one of the first telescopes and proved Copernicus' theory. Johannes Kepler was a German mathematician who developed the mathematical laws of planetary motion. His research “led to the discovery of the principle of gravitation” (Alchin). Andreas Vesalius had the first in-depth description of the human body. Vesalius was the founder of human anatomy. William Harvey discovered the principles of blood circulation. Harvey was the founder of human physiology. Accordingly, "Copern... center of paper... human capacity. Works Cited Alchin, L. K. "Elizabethan Science and Technology." Elizabethan Era. Np, July 16, 2012. Web. March 10, 2014. "Being Bess: l 'Industry in Elizabethan England'. Web log post. Being Bess: Industry in Elizabethan England. Blogger, 11 January 2012. Web. 25 March 2014. Couteur, Penny Le and Jay Burreson. Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 molecules changed history. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 2003. Print."Elizabethan Era". Oracle, 2011. Web. 9 March 2014. Pizzo, William W. Elizabethan England. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1995. Print. Ongaro, Giulio Maria., and David Brinkman. Westport, CT: Greenwood. 2003. Print.Pressley, J.M. “Elizabethan England.” Bardweb.net. Shakespeare Resource Center, 1 January 2013. Web. 09 March. 2014.