Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo Author:Galileo Galilei, Stillman Drake (Translator) Directing his polemics against the pedantry of his time, Galileo, as his own popularizer, addressed his writings to contemporary laymen. His support of Copernican cosmology, against the Church's strong opposition, his development of a telescope, and his unorthodox opinions as a philosopher of science were the central concerns of his career a... more »nd the subjects of four of his most important writings. Drake's introductory essay place them in their biographical and historical context.