1608 in science

The year 1608 in science and technology involved some significant events.

Astronomy

* Hans Lippershey invents the refracting telescope.

Technology

* Binoculars are invented, when spectacle maker Hans Lippershey conjoins two telescopic tubes to view subjects from great distances.
* The flintlock muzzleloader is invented; unlike most weapon systems which only lasted a few decades, the flintlock has a longterm impact.
* The manufacture of alum is invented and successfully practised in England, under the patronage of King James, by Lord Sheffield.

Births

* January 28 - Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, Italian scientist (died 1679)
* October 15 - Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist and mathematician (died 1647)
* John Tradescant the younger, English botanist (died 1662)

Deaths

* John Dee, English alchemist, astrologer, and mathematician who contributed greatly to the revival of interest in mathematics in England (born 1527)