<P> In his Hypothesis of Light of 1675, Newton posited the existence of the ether to transmit forces between particles . In 1704, Newton published Opticks, in which he expounded his corpuscular theory of light . He considered light to be made up of extremely subtle corpuscles, that ordinary matter was made of grosser corpuscles and speculated that through a kind of alchemical transmutation "Are not gross Bodies and Light convertible into one another,...and may not Bodies receive much of their Activity from the Particles of Light which enter their Composition?" </P> <Dl> <Dt> Electricity </Dt> </Dl> <P> Dr. William Gilbert, in De Magnete, invented the New Latin word electricus from ἤλεκτρον (elektron), the Greek word for "amber". Gilbert undertook a number of careful electrical experiments, in the course of which he discovered that many substances other than amber, such as sulphur, wax, glass, etc., were capable of manifesting electrical properties . Gilbert also discovered that a heated body lost its electricity and that moisture prevented the electrification of all bodies, due to the now well - known fact that moisture impaired the insulation of such bodies . He also noticed that electrified substances attracted all other substances indiscriminately, whereas a magnet only attracted iron . The many discoveries of this nature earned for Gilbert the title of founder of the electrical science . By investigating the forces on a light metallic needle, balanced on a point, he extended the list of electric bodies, and found also that many substances, including metals and natural magnets, showed no attractive forces when rubbed . He noticed that dry weather with north or east wind was the most favourable atmospheric condition for exhibiting electric phenomena--an observation liable to misconception until the difference between conductor and insulator was understood . </P> <P> Robert Boyle also worked frequently at the new science of electricity, and added several substances to Gilbert's list of electrics . He left a detailed account of his researches under the title of Experiments on the Origin of Electricity . Boyle, in 1675, stated that electric attraction and repulsion can act across a vacuum . One of his important discoveries was that electrified bodies in a vacuum would attract light substances, this indicating that the electrical effect did not depend upon the air as a medium . He also added resin to the then known list of electrics . </P>

Describe the scientific revolution and its effects on european thought