William Gilbert (24 May, 1544 – 30 November, 1603) was an English natural philosopher and royal physician to England's Elizabeth I and to James VI and I. He studied the earth's magnetism and properties of the compass, such as magnetic dip, using the model of a terrella. He is highly regarded for original experiments in electricity and magnetism and for his advocacy of the experimental method. He preceded Francis Bacon in his opposition to the methods of Scholasticism with its emphasis on dialectic and the syllogism as a method of discovery. Gilbert was an early defender of Nicolaus Copernicus, not with regard to the sun-centered planetary system, but as to the diurnal motion of the earth. His theory of the magnetic influences of the sun, moon and planets influenced Kepler's preconception of gravity.More
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