The scientist who formulated the laws of gravitation is Sir Isaac Newton. In the late 17th century, Newton developed the law of universal gravitation, which describes the gravitational force between two masses. His iconic work, "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy," published in 1687, laid the groundwork for classical mechanics. Newton's laws explained how objects attract each other based on their mass and the distance between them. This revolutionary understanding paved the way for advancements in physics and astronomy, influencing how we perceive motion and forces in the universe.