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Questions tagged [16th-century]

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1 vote
3 answers
287 views

How critical were Tycho Brahe’s accurate observations?

I am speculating about the value of Tycho Brahe’s - for his time - accurate observations and Kepler’s calculations. Might it have been possible for Kepler to formulate his laws based on Ptolemy’s ...
Mikael Jensen's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
198 views

What was the first "scientific", non-photographic depiction of Earth as seen from outside of Earth?

For a long time now, I've been thinking about this: when was the first painting, illustration or depiction of any kind where our planet Earth is seen as a sphere in space? Possibly even from the Moon? ...
Minhquan R.'s user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
80 views

How was the term speed treated in the 16th and 17th centuries?

What did people in the 16th and 17th centuries mean by the term speed? Did they have $$\text{speed} = \frac{ \text{distance} }{ \text{time} }$$ back then? Or did they have some other notion of speed ...
dRIFT sPEED's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

How was stellar parallax tested by Tycho Brahe?

Explanations of stellar parallax that I have found involve examining the apparent motion of a nearer star relative to a background of more distant stars, as the Earth moves around the sun or as the ...
Mars's user avatar
  • 367
7 votes
1 answer
895 views

How did artillery and physics co-evolve during 1400-1700?

Artillery was established in Europe around the year 1400. But physics, the mathematical and systematical description of how objects fall, the foundation of engine construction, didn't dawn until about ...
LocalFluff's user avatar
12 votes
0 answers
287 views

What was the typical format of a 16th century mathematical debate?

In The Equation that Couldn't be Solved, Mario Livio writes of academia in 16th century Bologna. Apparently, mathematicians would take part in public debates, sometimes involving solving problems. ...
HDE 226868's user avatar
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