Galileo Galilee was an influential Italian mathematician, astronomer, physicist, and philosopher who has been called “the father of Astronomy” and “The father of Modern Physics”. His discoveries are numerous and include discovering that the moon is round, not flat and that the planet Venus had phases, which strongly supported Copernicus’s theory that the sun is the center of the universe and the planets rotate around it (Heliocentrism). In 1632 Galileo wrote a book called “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” which argued for the theory of Heliocentrism, which was against the church’s teachings. He was tried by the inquisition for heresy, was forced to retract his claims, was put under house arrest for the rest of his life.

Lord Kelvin helped formulate the first and second laws of thermodynamics and correctly calculated the value of absolute zero, so he would be the best answer. Isaac Newton did his most famous work in classical mechanics and did not work with thermodynamics, so he would not be the best choice. Anders Celsius proposed the temperature scale that bears his name but he did not perform the contributions in question, so he would not be the best answer. Finally, Alan Turing is considered the father of computer science, but he did not work in thermodynamics, so he would not be the correct answer here.

The Enlightenment was in compliment to the Scientific Revolution. Where the Scientific Revolution catered to the "hard sciences" of math, chemistry, and physics, the Enlightenment brought about a major influx of people to the "soft sciences" of philosophy and social science. The major figures of the Enlightenment focused most of their work around the lives and social constructs of people.

Lord Kelvin helped formulate the first and second laws of thermodynamics and correctly calculated the value of absolute zero, so he would be the best answer. Isaac Newton did his most famous work in classical mechanics and did not work with thermodynamics, so he would not be the best choice. Anders Celsius proposed the temperature scale that bears his name but he did not perform the contributions in question, so he would not be the best answer. Finally, Alan Turing is considered the father of computer science, but he did not work in thermodynamics, so he would not be the correct answer here.

The Enlightenment was in compliment to the Scientific Revolution. Where the Scientific Revolution catered to the "hard sciences" of math, chemistry, and physics, the Enlightenment brought about a major influx of people to the "soft sciences" of philosophy and social science. The major figures of the Enlightenment focused most of their work around the lives and social constructs of people.

Niccolo Machiavelli's 1513 treatise The Prince described how a ruler should maintain political power. Prior to Machiavelli, political theory typically described how rulers ought to rule based on specific moral and Christian principles. In The Prince, Machiavelli instead advocates for a more realistic mode of governance not restricted by such lofty concerns.

Quotation adapted from The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (1513; trans. Mariott 1908)

Alternate current was patented by Nikola Tesla, who was a former employee of Thomas Edison, the inventor of Direct current.

Calvin differed from Luther and the majority of the rest of the major Protestant reformers because he advocated for the inclusion of the church in the affairs of the state. Calvin believed that the church should be the primary factor in the makeup and decisions of a secular government. As Calvinism spread, this encouraged the rise of theocratic governments in England, Switzerland, and even the New World.

Niccolo Machiavelli's 1513 treatise The Prince described how a ruler should maintain political power. Prior to Machiavelli, political theory typically described how rulers ought to rule based on specific moral and Christian principles. In The Prince, Machiavelli instead advocates for a more realistic mode of governance not restricted by such lofty concerns.

Quotation adapted from The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (1513; trans. Mariott 1908)

Karl Popper was a 20th-century philosopher of science and he lived far after the discovery of classical mechanics, so he would not be the best choice. Copernicus proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system and he did not publish the book in question, so he would not be a good choice. Lord Kelvin famously created the temperature system that accounts for absolute zero, but he did not publish the book in question, so he would not be the best choice. DaVinci was a great inventor but he lived long before the discovery of classical mechanics, so he is not the correct answer. Lastly, Isaac Newton published the book in question and discovered classical mechanics, so he would be the best answer here.