Galileo
Bronowski, in this week's episode of The Ascent of Man, describes the two great books that Galileo wrote late in his life:
The Dialogue on the Two Great World Systems (1632), and The Dialogue on the Two New Sciences (1638).
Describe briefly the contents and basic innovations of each of these works (in a paragraph for each).
Why do you think they were written as "dialogues"?
Which do you believe was the more important of the two works for the future history of science, and why?
Had it not been for the Inquisition against Galileo, do you think Galileo would ever have written The Dialogue on the Two New Sciences?
How was the view of motion Galileo adopted in this work to prove essential for the success of the Scientific Revolution?