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The Assayer by Galileo

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Why did Galileo write "The Assayer" and what it is about? Why did Galileo chose this title, and what he meant to convey by doing so?

What does Galileo means when he says, "nature takes no delight in poetry." Why is science NOT like poetry? What IS science like, according to Galileo?

What was the importance of mathematics to Galileo for his understanding of science and of nature. He speaks at one point of language--not the language of poets, but the language of mathematics. How does this relate to his other works in Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, and in particular, his attempts to defend himself from his critics? Is Galileo able to do so effectively in "The Assayer"?

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Solution Summary

This response deals with Galileo's work "The Assayer" in which he developed and explained the importance of the scientific method, whose principles are still used in science today.

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The assayer is a book that Galileo wrote to explain the scientific method, and was meant to be read with mathematical tools rather than philosophical tools [1]. In fact, it was written as response of a controversy about the nature of comets in 1618. In particular, it was a response to the comments made by Orazio Grassi. Il saggiatore (The Assayer) was published in 1623, and the title means the "examiner" or "the analyzer", referring to the importance of observing nature and rigorously examine the external parameters in which it is based, setting the foundations for the scientific method. In this book, he discussed ...

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