BIOGRAPHY

​

     Without question, there are many rumors surrounding Francis Bacon. Unfortunately, most of them are true. Yes, Francis Bacon died from a freak meat accident. Yes, Bacon was also, by most standards, a pedophile. And Yes, more likely than not, Bacon also took bribes in exchange for favorable outcomes in court (which he was found guilty of and served four days in jail for). In fact, the only scandle that remains to be uncovered is whether Francis Bacon was actually William Shakespeare. A legend that still persists today.

     Progeny of a political powerhouse, Francis’s father was both well connected and wealthy. And, it was this fortune that served young Francis well in his education. Not only could Francis afford to attend the University of Cambridge, but he also had the privilege of enjoying a private tutor throughout his time there. Upon leaving Cambridge, Francis’ career was catapulted by becoming a member of Parliament at the age of twenty. However, this achievement was merely a foreshadowing of his future roles as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, Knight, Attorney General, and finally Lord High-Chancellor of England. 

     Indeed, it is a great wonder where Francis found the time to compile the amount of works that he did throughout his lifetime. Still, one particular work of Bacon’s stood out among all others,   Novum Organum (The New Tool). It is in this work that Bacon developed what has come to be known today as the scientific method. That is, the inductive method, whereby observations, empirical evidence, and measurable data are used to support a scientific theory or hypothesis. Sadly, this seminal work was not popularized or put into practice until after Bacon’s death in 1626 (which was caused by pneumonia contracted while conducting experiments on the effects that snow had on freezing meat).