Interactive Demo
The Clockwork Universe Demo
The Clockwork Universe Demo is a free, interactive learning demo from the AP European History course on Lykke. It helps you build intuition for The Scientific Revolution, Copernicus and Heliocentrism, The Enlightenment, The Social Contract (Locke, Rousseau). Play with it directly in your browser — it features 1 slider, 4 buttons and a live visual canvas. This demo lives in the “Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments” section of the course.
How to use this demo
- Drag the sliders to change the inputs and watch the visualization update in real time.
- Use the “Ptolemaic (Geocentric)”, “Newtonian (Heliocentric)”, “Show Orbital Traces”, “Show Forces” buttons to trigger actions or reset the demo.
- Experiment freely — there's nothing to break, and every change is reversible.
What you'll explore
- The Scientific Revolution
- Copernicus and Heliocentrism
- The Enlightenment
- The Social Contract (Locke, Rousseau)
- Adam Smith and Laissez-faire
- Enlightened Absolutism
- Salons and the Public Sphere
Frequently asked questions
What does the The Clockwork Universe Demo demo do?
The math is complex to preserve the Earth-centered dogma. The Clockwork Universe Demo lets you explore this hands-on instead of only reading about it.
What AP European History concept does The Clockwork Universe Demo teach?
Covers the intellectual revolutions that challenged traditional authority and laid the groundwork for modern science and political thought. It focuses on The Scientific Revolution, Copernicus and Heliocentrism, The Enlightenment, The Social Contract (Locke, Rousseau), Adam Smith and Laissez-faire, Enlightened Absolutism from the “Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments” section.
What can I control in The Clockwork Universe Demo?
The sliders change the key inputs; the “Ptolemaic (Geocentric)”, “Newtonian (Heliocentric)”, “Show Orbital Traces”, “Show Forces” buttons run actions or reset the demo. Every change updates the visualization in real time, so you can see exactly how each variable affects the outcome.
How does The Clockwork Universe Demo fit into the AP European History course?
AP European History is a college-level course that explores the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped Europe from 1450 to the present. Students analyze primary and secondary sources to… This demo is the interactive piece for the “Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments” section. Open the full AP European History course wiki at https://www.getlykke.com/explore/public/ap-european-history-71b79c1b-e1c4-4e70-a76d-9bbaf0a79898 for notes, flashcards, quizzes and the other demos.
What will I understand better after using The Clockwork Universe Demo?
You'll build intuition for The Scientific Revolution, Copernicus and Heliocentrism, The Enlightenment, The Social Contract (Locke, Rousseau), Adam Smith and Laissez-faire, Enlightened Absolutism — and, crucially, see how they behave when you change the inputs, which is hard to get from a textbook or lecture on AP European History alone.
From the AP European History course
This interactive demo is part of the Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments section. Explore the full AP European History course wiki on Lykke — with notes, flashcards, quizzes and more interactive demos.
Open the AP European History course →