The Renaissance began in Italy during the 1300s before spreading throughout Europe in the 1500s and 1600s. This was due to a change in thinking . In an effort to learn, people began to want to understand the world around them. This study of the world and its functioning marked the beginning of a new scientific era. “People were curious and questioning the known wisdom of the Church. They began to use experimentation and observation to solve the world's problems. (Johnson). Many Renaissance intellectuals strove to define and understand the laws of nature and the physical world. During the Renaissance, great advances took place in science and technology as well as other fields. Gunpowder was invented around 1040. This then led to the invention of other destructive devices. Although it is hard to believe, rockets were launched as fireworks and weapons in China in the early 1230s. This led William Congreve to develop rockets for use in wars. Additionally, the invention of gunpowder arose from cannon and other projectile-firing artillery. “These new inventions greatly influenced the way warfare was fought. No more hand-to-hand combat with implicit rules” (Bellis). These new weapons also led to a higher number of casualties. In 1410, the first portable clock was developed in Florence, Italy, by Filippo Brunelleschi. Before that, mechanical clocks were large stationary devices. The spring-loaded clock made it possible to always know the time. Later improvements were made by Galileo who invented the pendulum in 1581. The pendulum made it possible to make much more precise clocks. “Although Galileo is credited with inventing the pendulum, his clock project was not built before his death” (About.com)....... middle of article..... .ter refined by scientists such as Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton. The Renaissance period also marked the beginning of an era of exploration. The expeditions of Ferdinand Magellan, Jacques Cartier and Sir Walter Raleigh paved the way for the voyage of the Mayflower. Christopher Columbus undertook his first voyage at the age of fourteen. He was an educated man, he knew that the world was round and he believed that a ship could possibly reach the Far East in the opposite direction. On August 3, 1492, Columbus sailed the blue ocean. Its aim was to spread Christianity and bring back gold, spices and silks from the Far East. The Renaissance was a time of creativity and change in Europe. It produced many achievements in art, literature, and science, but most importantly, it produced a new conception of how people viewed themselves, each other, and the world who surrounded them..