Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Galileo is a central figure in the transition from natural philosophy to modern science and in the transformation of the scientific Renaissance into a scientific revolution. Galileo studied speed and velocity, gravity and free fall, the principle of relativity, inertia, projectile motion. He also worked in applied science and technology, describing the properties of pendulums and "hydrostatic balances", inventing the thermo- scope and using the telescope for scientific observations of celestial objects.