1586 in science

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The year 1586 in science and technology included a number of events, some of which are listed here.

Botany

• Jacques Daléchamps publishes Historia generalis plantarum in Lyon, describing 2731 plants, a record number for this time.

Cryptography

• Blaise de Vigenère publishes Traicté des chiffres ou secretes manières d'escrire in Paris, describing an autokey cipher of his invention.

Exploration

• July 21 - Thomas Cavendish sets out from Plymouth in the Desire on the first deliberately planned circumnavigation.

Mathematics

• Francesco Barozzi publishes Admirandum illud geometricum problema tredecim modis demonstratum quod docet duas lineas in eodem plano designare, a treatise on the construction of parallel lines.

Medicine

• Timothy Bright publishes A Treatise of Melancholie; containing the causes thereof, & reasons of the strange effects it worketh in our minds and bodies: with the phisicke cure, and spirituall consolation... in London.

Physics

• Galileo publishes La Billancetta, describing an accurate balance to weigh objects in air or water.
• Simon Stevin publishes De Beghinselen der Weeghconst in Leiden, discussing static forces; and De Beghinselen des Waterwichts, discussing the weight of water.

Births

• February 26 - Niccolò Cabeo, Italian polymath (d. 1650)
• December 6 - Niccolò Zucchi, Italian astronomer (d. 1670)
• John Mason, English explorer (d. 1635)
• approx. date - Guy de La Brosse, French physician and botanist (d. 1641)

Deaths

• January 9 - Paul Wittich, German astronomer and mathematician (b. c.1546)
• May 29 - Adam Lonicer, German botanist (b. 1528)
• October 19 - Ignazio Danti, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1536)