About the Book
Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences
As enjoyable as it is important, this classic encompasses 30 years of highly original experiments and theories. Its lively expositions discuss dynamics, elasticity, sound, strength of materials, and more. 126 diagrams.
The Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences (Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche, intorno à due nuove scienze, 1638) was Galileo's final book and a sort of scientific testament covering much of his work in physics over the preceding thirty years.
Unlike the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, it was not published with a license from the Inquisition; after the heresy trial based on the earlier book, the Roman Inquisition had banned publication of any work by Galileo, including any he might write in the future.[1] After the failure of attempts to publish the work in France, Germany, or Poland, it was picked up by Lowys Elsevier in Leiden, The Netherlands, where the writ of the Inquisition was of little account (see House of Elzevir).
The same three men as in the Dialogue carry on the discussion, but they have changed. Simplicio, in particular, is no longer the stubborn and rather dense Aristotelian; to some extent he represents the thinking of Galileo's early years, as Sagredo represents his middle period. Salviati remains the spokesman for Galileo.
About the Author
Galileo Galilei
Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations, and support for Copernicanism.
