Roger Bacon (c. 1214–1294) was an English Franciscan friar, philosopher, and early advocate of the scientific method. He emphasized empirical observation and mathematics as essential tools for understanding nature. Educated at Oxford and the University of Paris, Bacon was influenced by Aristotle and Arabic science. His major work, Opus Majus, covered optics, linguistics, astronomy, and alchemy, and included descriptions of gunpowder and futuristic inventions like flying machines. Despite facing suspicion and imprisonment by church authorities for his unconventional ideas, Bacon's contributions laid groundwork for the later Scientific Revolution. He is remembered as a pioneering thinker who challenged dogma and championed experimental science.
