| YEAR |
BOOK |
SUBJECT |
CONTRIBUTION |
| 1610 |
Sidereus nuncius
[Sidereal Messenger] |
Telescopic observations. |
Qualitative observations of the
stars, moon, Venus, moons of Jupiter, and the 'handles' on Saturn were
polemical ammunition for Copernicanism. |
| 1613 |
Lettere sulle macchie solari
[Letters on sun spots] |
Telescopic observations and mathematical
analysis
of sunspots. |
Demonstration of solar 'imperfections',
axial rotation, and contiguous nature of sunspots.
|
| 1615 |
Lettera a Madama Cristina
[Letters to the Grand Duchess
Christina] |
Science and religion;
philosophy of science. |
Attempt to seperate scientific
concerns from theological dogma; the strengths and limits of scientific
inquiry. |
| 1623 |
Il saggiatore [The
Assayer] |
Philosophy of science; wide
discussion of troublesome
physical phenomena. |
Polemic on the nature of scientific
investigation, particularly astronomical phenomena, based on observation
& descriptive mathematics. |
| 1632 |
Dialogo [Dialogue on
the Two
Chief Systems of the World] |
Cosmology in the broadest sense;
Copernicanism; kinematics. |
Brilliant literary polemic against
Aristotelians in favor of Copernicus and the physics of a moving earth:
inertia, relativity, and conservation of motion. |
| 1638 |
Discorsi [Discourse
on the
Two New Sciences] |
Terrestrial kinematics; thoery
of matter, strength of materials. |
Mathematical (kinematic) demonstration
and systematization of the science of motion and a discussion of the strength
of materials. |
