Galileo Galilei
1564-1642
Major Contribution:
Considered the father of science for his extensive work.
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Galileo was an Italian natural philosopher, astronomer, and
mathematician who made fundamental contributions to the sciences of
motion, astronomy, strength of materials, and to the development
of the scientific method.
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His formulation of circular inertia, the law of falling bodies, and
parabolic trajectories marked the beginning of a fundamental change
in the study of motion. His works addressed the concept of
relativity.
His insistence that the book of nature was written in the language
of mathematics changed natural philosophy from a verbal, qualitative
account to a mathematical one in which experimentation became a
recognized method for discovering the facts of nature.
His
discoveries with the telescope revolutionized astronomy and paved
the way for the acceptance of the Copernican heliocentric system,
but his advocacy of that system eventually resulted in an
Inquisition process against him.
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Galileo also
worked in applied science and technology, improving compass design.
He was mentioned by Newton as one of the giants upon whose shoulders
he (Newton) stood. |