Engineers Inspired Scientific Method, Bacon's Vision

Francis Bacon's 1627 tale, 'The New Atlantis,' envisioned Salomon's House, an institution dedicated to scientific discovery and creation. This vision was inspired by the practical innovations of engineers like Cornelis Drebbel and Salomon de Caus. Drebbel's submersible boat and de Caus's elaborate water-driven automatons demonstrated how hands-on experimentation and iterative building could advance knowledge. Bacon's philosophy, outlined in 'Novum Organum,' emphasized empirical evidence and practical invention over abstract debate, directly influenced by these engineers' work. The founding of the Royal Society in 1660 further institutionalized this experimental approach, though a later narrative often separated science from engineering, obscuring their intertwined origins.