Gaspar Schott (5 February 1608 - 22 May 1666) was a German scientist, specializing in the fields of physics, mathematics and natural philosophy, and known for his piety. He was born at Königshofen and died at Augsburg (or Wuerzburg, sources vary). February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events March 18 - Sissinios formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia May 14 - Protestant Union founded in Auhausen. ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... Events September 2 - Great Fire of London: A large fire breaks out in London in the house of Charles IIs baker on Pudding Lane near London Bridge. ... Since antiquity, people have tried to understand the behavior of matter: why unsupported objects drop to the ground, why different materials have different properties, and so forth. ... Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Mathematics Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mathematics Look up Mathematics on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mathematics Bogomolny, Alexander: Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles. ... Natural philosophy is a term applied to the objective study of nature and the physical universe before the development of modern science. ... Piety is a desire and willingness to perform religious duties. ... Augsburg is a city in south-central Germany. ... Würzburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. ...

Biography

In 1627 Schott entered the Society of Jesus. He studied first at the University of Wuerzburg but due to the Thirty Years' War he left the Holy Roman Empire, eventually finishing his studies at the University of Palermo. He studied under Athanasius Kircher, who was his mentor for many years. He corresponded with many researchers and inventors, like Otto von Guericke, Christiaan Huygens and Robert Boyle. Events A Dutch ship makes the first recorded sighting of the coast of South Australia. ... The Society of Jesus (Societas Iesu/Jesu (S.J.) in Latin) is a Christian religious order of the Roman Catholic Church in direct service to the Pope. ... The victory of Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Breitenfeld (1631) The Thirty Years War was a conflict fought between the years 1618 and 1648, principally on the territory of todays Germany, but also involving most of the major continental powers. ... Coats of arms of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire This page is about the Germanic empire. ... The University of Palermo (Italian: Università degli Studi di Palermo) is a university located in Palermo, Italy, and founded in 1806. ... Athanasius Kircher (sometimes spelt Kirchner) (May 2, 1601?–27 November 1680) was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology and medicine. ... Otto von Guericke Otto von Guericke (originally spelled Gericke) (born November 20, 1602 in Magdeburg, Germany, died May 11, 1686 in Hamburg, Germany, both dates according to the Julian calendar, according to the Gregorian calendar they are November 30 and May 21) was a German scientist, inventor, and politician (mayor... Christiaan Huygens Christiaan Huygens (pronounced in English (IPA): ; in Dutch: ) (April 14, 1629–July 8, 1695), was a Dutch mathematician and physicist; born in The Hague as the son of Constantijn Huygens. ... Robert Boyle The Honourable Robert Boyle (January 25, 1627 - December 30, 1691) was an Anglo-Irish natural philosopher, noted for his work in physics and chemistry. ...

Works

Schott is most widely known for his works on hydraulic and mechanical instruments. His treatise on "chronometric marvels" contains the first description of a universal joint and the classification of gear teeth. He was the author of a number of works on mathematics, physics, and magic. However, his books were largely compendia of reports he received or books he read and he mostly repeated experiments, doing little, if any, original research. A universal joint, U joint or Cardan joint is a joint in a rigid rod that allows the rod to bend in any direction. ...

Among his most famous works is the book "Magia universalis naturæ et artis" (4 vols., Würtzburg, 1657-1659), filled with many mathematical problems and physical experiments, notably in optics and acoustics. His "Mechanicahydraulica-pneumatica" (Würtzburg, 1657) contains the first description of von Guericke's air pump. He also published "Pantometricum Kircherianum" (Würtzburg, 1660); "Physica curiosa" (Würtzburg, 1662), a supplement to the "Magia universalis"; "Anatomia physico-hydrostatica fontium et fluminum" (Würtzburg, 1663), and a several editions of "Cursus mathematicus". He also edited the "Itinerarium extacticum" of Athanasius Kircher and the "Amussis Ferdidindea" of Albert Curtz. Manual pump used to obtain water A pump is a mechanical device used to move liquids or gases. ...

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Data from Galileo Project
• Biography in German