Galileo and the Church
Galileo Galilei was an Italian physicist and astronomer, who made significant discoveries in astronomy, invented the telescope, one of the most substantial inventions in science and astronomy, and laid the foundation for modern physics. One of his greatest struggles was with the Roman Catholic Church, who persecuted, and eventually detained Galileo for his theories. Galileo's life is one of great importance. He is a symbol of the battle against authority for the freedom of inquiry at the time, and is arguably the greatest contributor to the scientific revolution. His life will be discussed in depth, focusing on his contributions to science and his conflicts with the Church. Galileo was born near Pisa, on February 15, 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, played an important role in the musical revolution of the time. Vincenzo saw that the inflexible musical theory of the time prevented new forms in music, just like Galileo would come to see that Aristotelian physical theology was limiting scientific inquiry. In Vallombrosa, Galileo was taught by monks, and studied medicine in the University of Pisa in 1581. He soon found interest in philosophy and mathematics, and left the university in 1585 without obtaining a degree. For
By December of 1610 he had observed the phases of Venus. He made huge advances in optics with the invention of the telescope, and paved the way for many other discoveries in the fields of astronomy. However, if we take a two pound rock, split it in half and join the halves by a light string then, on the one hand, this contraption should fall as fast as a two pound rock, but on the other hand, it should fall as fast as a one-pound rock. He also investigated mechanics and the strength of different materials. His contributions to astronomy are possibly his greatest achievement. He published these findings in March of 1610 in The Starry Messenger. He laid the foundation for modern physics with his discoveries in the motion of falling bodies, his experiments with pendulums, and his theories of mechanical action. He died in Arcetri, near Florence, on January 8, 1642. Galileo was not very interested in astronomy at the time, although beginning in 1595 he believed in the Copernican theory that the earth revolves around the sun rather than the assumptions of Aristotle and Ptolemy that the earth was the center of the universe. He also made discoveries on the parabolic, or bowl-shaped path of projectiles, due to gravity. Though he had two official licenses, Galileo was summoned to Rome by the Inquisition to stand trial for "grave suspicion of heresy. In 1624 Galileo began a book called "Dialogue on the Tides". Some of his most influential contributions lie in the field of physics, founding physics on precise measurements rather than principles and logic. From a very basic description of it, Galileo made his own telescope in August of 1609. Unfortunately, Galileo became blind before it was published.
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