The Scientific Revolution, in a little more than a century, drastically and irrevocably changed Western European science and philosophy by changing the fundamental views on the nature of knowledge. The scientific method and its corresponding emphasis on observation and empiricism presented Early Modern thinkers with a new basis for knowledge, one which was tangible and could be demonstrated and reproduced. Using observational and experimental methods, scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers of the late 16th and 17th centuries discovered and theorized new views of our universe. These findings, and most importantly the methodology these Early Modern thinkers developed, changed the course of Western history by ushering in the beginning of modern science. The 16th and 17th centuries saw medicine and chemistry come into their own as disciplines. This occurred largely due to the increased emphasis on empiricism by the scientists of the period in their study of the natural world and the human body. Without the period's pioneering dissections, endless experimentation, and dedication to notation and observation, medicine and chemistry would likely not be the highly specialized disciplines they are today.