French scholar who studied at the University of Paris. He constructed a geometric figure to perform a graphical proof of the mean speed theorem. He pondered the three arguments against the rotation of the Earth: (1) the Sun and the stars are observed to rotate around the Earth, (2) a great wind from the east would be expected if thee Earth rotated, and (3) a stone would be expected to fall around a curved path if the Earth rotated. Oresme decided that all these objections could be overcome, but still believed that the Earth doesn't move (Pedersen and Pihl 1974).

Additional biographies: MacTutor (St. Andrews)