1616 in science

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

The year 1616 in science and technology involved some significant events.

Astronomy

• Galileo challenges the Catholic Church, saying Copernicus' heliocentric theory of the Solar System is correct. On February 24 he is forbidden to speak of Copernicus's theories.
• March 5 - The work of Copernicus (1473-1543) is forbidden, by the Congregation of the Index, for reading "until corrected" (this is done in 1620: nine sentences, in which the heliocentric system is represented as certain, have to be either omitted or changed).

Biology

• Fortunio Liceti publishes De Monstruorum Natura which marks the beginning of studies into malformations of the embryo.

Technology

• Italian Giuliano Bossi invents a double-barreled gun.

Births

• October 18 - Nicholas Culpeper, English herbalist (died 1654)
• November 22 - John Wallis, English mathematician who made important contributions to the development of algebra and analytical geometry (died 1703)
• November 23 (bapt.) - John Kersey, English mathematician (died 1677)
• Kamalakara, Indian astronomer and mathematician (died 1700)
• approx. date - John French, English physician and chemist (died 1657)

Deaths

• March 19 - Johannes Fabricius, Frisian astronomer (born 1587)
• July 25 - Andreas Libavius, German physician (born 1555).