Galileo Galilei: Man of Science Essay

Galileo Galilei was an Italian scientist intrinsic on February 15, 1564. He lived in a metre when hoi polloi perceived the landed estate as the center of the universe and when people interpreted the scriptures literally. He to begin with act the field of medicine, only when later(prenominal) gained an disceptation towards mathematics. He worked to develop the scientific rule and to explain the adult male in numeric terms. Today, his even outions and dis encompassies contributed to the establishment of the scientific worlds foundation. Galileo Galilei Man of wisdomGalileo Galilei is mavin of the virtually revolutionary figures in history who transcended some(prenominal)(prenominal) religious and scientific conventions. The expanse of his accomplishments cover natural philosophy, astronomy, and mathematics, all to which his contributions have resulted in hearty advances. He lived in a time when honor was persecuted and religion dictates facts of society. only he r efused to remain in stagnation and to take on without question. His works reflected both genius and ingenuity, as his vitality mirrored the depths that hu humanness parole can reach.Being a extremely celebrated scientist, Galileo has proven himself a man who would always exercise the freedom to think, discover, and create. heart and Writings An Italian scientist natural on the 15th of February 1564 in the city of Pisa, Galileo Galilei lived in a time when Europeans have except recently discovered the Americas. He was born towards the end of the Renaissance cessation. His birth was terce days prior Michael Angelos death, 72 course of studys aft(prenominal) the disco very(prenominal) of the Americas, 43 years forwards the landing of the Mayflower, and both months before the birth of Shakespe atomic number 18 (Fermi and Bernardini, 1961, p. 11).Galileo, as he is more than popularly called, was the son of Vincenzo Galilei and Giulia Ammannati. Although originally from Pisa , Italy and lived there for 10 years, Galileo moved to Florence, his founding fathers birthplace, to join his family. He was indeed sent to the Camaldolese Monastery at Vallombrosa in erect to be educated by the Benedictine monks. This religious edict became attractive to the spring chicken Galileo, as he incorporated the reclusive liveness with solitude and hermitage. He entered the order and became a noviciate, but his religious life was put to a halt as he confront a warm op gravel from his father.Vincenzo Galilei had already intended that his firstborn child would practice medicine (OConnor and Robertson, 2002). Galileo engage his medical degree at the University of Pisa, as he was urged by his father. nonwithstanding be a physician was never sympathetic for Galileo, and he only took interests on rail line subjects concerning mathematics and natural philosophy. This diverted his upkeep from medicine to his destined field, mathematics and natural sciences. In 1589 at the University of Pisa, he became the tame of mathematics.However, after the death of his father, which compelled him to search for more lucrative means to support his family, Galileo took the position of professor of mathematics at the University of Padua in 1592. Until 1610, he taught geometry, mechanics, and astronomy in this university. This period was very alpha as Galileo do outstanding discoveries during this time in both pure and applied sciences. He argued against the wayfaring doctrines on the universe and even believed that Keplers Supernova of 1604 occurred far from the footing.He already wordlessly believed in the important claim of heliocentrism (OConnor and Robertson, 2002). Galileo had one-third children with Marina Gamba. But he fathered his son and both daughters out of wedlock. The childrens illegitimate attitude made Galileo decide that his daughters are not suited for marriage and wherefore moldiness enter a religious order. They became nuns of the convent of San Matteo Arceteri where they everlastingly remained. His son, on the new(prenominal) hand, later gained a legitimate status and was able to later marry (Life, 2000).Due to his support for the heliocentric opening of Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo faced the Inquisition of the Catholic Church in 1633. The attractions of the papistical Catholic religion convicted Galileo with the crime of heresy. As part of his punishment, the perform logical that he withdraw his support for Copernicus normally. He was too given the sentence of life imprisonment, but only served house arrest out-of-pocket to his advanced age. By his age of 72, Galileo suffered from blindness collectible to cataracts and glaucoma. And in 1642, Galileo Galilei died at Arcetri.This was the very like(p) birth year of some some opposite physicist, Isaac Newton (Chew, 1996). One of the around arouse characteristics of his writings is that they are all, except for one, pen in the Italian languag e instead of Latin. Although Italian was his native tongue, the more constituted medium of scientific writing was Latin. twain of his most renowned works are entitled Dialogue Concerning the two captain World Systems, Ptolemaic and of import and Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences (Kolatkar, 2001, p. 3). He presented these works in a considerably dramatic and brisk manner.Here, he told of the story of a colloquy among three characters, Simplicio (representation of Aristotle), Salviati (representation of Galileo), and Sagredo (intelligent layperson). His greatest scientific contributions were contained in these literatures. These highly influenced the modern scientific idea its method of enquiry and its criterion of truth (Kolatkar, 2001, p. 3). He was the responsible for the current scientific method that scientists are employing, and which would last for generations to come.His other famous writings include The lowly Balance, The Starry Messenger, garners on Sunspots, Letter to Grand Duchess Christina, Discoros Delle Comete, and The Assayer (Chew, 1996). Contributions in Astronomy, Physics, Mathematics, and Technology given(p) the title of Father of ultramodern Science (Finocchiaro, 1989, p. 1), Galileo Galilei has highly contributed to the advancement of science especially in the field of astronomy, physics, and mathematics. He highly-developed the scientific method, which is very instrumental in the methodology employed by galore(postnominal) of the scientists after him.This scientific method allowed scientists to look at investigateations that are quantitative as contend to qualitative, repeatable, and unbiased (Finocchiaro, 1989, p. 1). In the field of physics, Galileo notably took interest on falling bodies. At the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Galileo dropped a cannonball and a feather. Through this unreserved experiment, he discovered that the falling objects had the same acceleration despite their differences in mass. He foun d that the speed is dependent on air resistance and not on the objects mass, which is now one of the most well cognise laws of physics (phosphate buffer solution, 2002, p.1). Galileos numerical inclinations led him to growing a certain method in solving problems. He reduced these problems into normal lay terms and adapted them into a common-sense logic level. He used this in formulating analyses and in resolving the problems into simplified mathematical terms. This proved to be successful as he was able to describe and experiment on motion, which eventually helped Isaac Newton in mathematically describing his Law of Inertia (Chew, 1996). Galileo is similarly known for his technological contributions. Galileo was naturally observant and very curious with his surroundings.He enjoyed exploring and experimenting on mechanical objects. This interest led him to invent a simply designed thermometer, a geometric military compass, and a change telescope. It is with the latter invention that Galileo was able to look for the celestial bodies. Galileo observed the moons surface and found that it has great similarities with the Earth. He also made the very evoke astronomical observation on Jupiter and its 4 moons and on Venus and its different phases. using his self constructed telescope, Galileo look oned distant planets and stars, their behaviour and their surfaces. button up in contribution to the field of Astronomy, Galileo depict and illustrated the altering pattern of the Suns spots. His proposed explanation for this phenomenon is that these changes in the sunspots pattern were due to the rotation of the sun. Of all Galileos scientific theories, his most moot was his support for the important opposition against the classic Aristotelian doctrines. The superannuated Greeks belief of geocentrism and geostasis were taught in all universities and other academic institutions at his time. But Galileo remote these views as he believed in the Copernican geokin etic and heliocentric theories.This is a highly controversial stand for Galileo as it led to his regain with the church, which eventually sentenced him to life imprisonment (Finocchiaro, 1989, p. 7). afterwards being sentenced into life imprisonment, Galileo served his punishment under house arrest until his death. But this did not prevent him from continuing his scientific experiments. When he returned to his studies in physics, particularly motion, he analyse falling bodies, projectiles, inclined planes, and other important areas that are considered as the foundations of modern physics (PBS, 2002, p. 1). The InquisitionAs one of the most popular and accomplished scientists in his time, Galileo was not only under the scrutiny of the public but most essentially by the church. It was however unfortunate that the Father of young Science did not escape the peevishness of religious officials against his beliefs. He greatly suffered from his encounters with the papistic Catholic religion, and paid until the rest of his life (Wudka, 1998). At the University of Pisa, Galileo taught astronomy with the required curriculum. He was compelled to teach the geocentric and geostatic theories that scholars of his time accepted.But due to his exposure to a new theory by Nicolaus Copernicus when he taught at the University of Padua, he became convinced that the earth and the other planets revolve around sun. This is otherwise known as the heliocentric theory that is before long accepted as a scientific fact. His support for Copernicus meant that he was against the doctrines taught by the Roman Catholic Church. In 1633, he faced the historically renowned Inquisition (Chew, 1996). It was in 1611 that Galileo first experienced religious encounters for his Copernican beliefs.Four years prior the inquisition, the Dominican friar named Niccolo Lorini had criticized his views and even filed a electric charge against him. In his defence, Galileo argued to the officials in V atican and to the Grand Duchess Christina that he be given liberty to ask and defend his ideas in Rome. By the year 1616, scholars proclaimed that heliocentrism is both philosophically ill-advised and theologically erroneous. Those who advocated this theory were considered heretics. He was ordered by Pope Paul V to refrain from defending the Copernican view and to discuss his beliefs neither in speech nor in writing (Wudka, 1998).The Roman Catholic Church was already experiencing oppositions from different sectors of the society. It was liner battles against armies of Protestants and therefore needed to establish and to essay enough strength against their enemies. With his authority at stake, then churchs leader Pope Urban VIII accuse Galileo of mockery against him. This move the renowned scientist before an inquisition which later convicted him guilty of heresy. He was 69 years old during the incident, and therefore was very physically vulnerable. The church jeopardise him o f serious torture if he did not withdraw his support for Copernicus.Therefore, he recanted his theory and was sentenced into life imprisonment, but instead placed under house arrest. He died avail his sentence and it was not until 1992 that the church apologized for its maltreatment towards this man of science (Life, 2000). Legacy trine hundred years after the inquisition, the church recanted its verdict against the men of science that they persecuted. Galileo Galilei, unitedly with Copernicus and other men, was absolved of the crimes they were accused of. But more than his sufferings from the hands of the church, Galileo has left his legacy in the world of science.He would forever and a day be remembered for his contributions in the laws of physics and his astronomical findings. And most of all, his improvement of the microscope would always be regarded as a revolutionary calamus in advancing our knowledge of the universe. Generations after ours would never cease to know his name, as it epitomizes both genius and greatness. Galileo Galilei has carved his deferral and would forever be remembered as a man who shaped the modern world of science (Hughes and Shaw, 1999). I do not feel obliged to believe that the same god who has endowed us with sense, originator and intellect has intended us to chuck up the sponge their use. -Galileo Galilei References Chew, R. (1996). Galileo Galilei. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from http//www. lucidcafe. com/library/96feb/galileo. html. Finocchiaro, M. A. (1989). The Galileo Affair A Documentary. Los Angeles University of calcium Press. Hughes, E. And Shaw, L. (1999). Galileos Legacy. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from http//www. cogs. susx. ac. uk/users/desw/galileo/life/legacy. html. Kolatkar, M. (2001). Galileo Galilei Father of Modern Science. Journal of Science Education, 63. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from www. iisc. ernet. in/academy/resonance/Aug2001/pdf/Aug2001p3-5.pdf Life (2000). Galileo Sees the Moons of Jupite r and the Earth Moves. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from http//www. life. com/Life/millennium/events/05. html. OConnor, J. J. , and Robertson, E. F. (2002). Galileo Galilei. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from http//www-history. mcs. st-andrews. ac. uk/Biographies/Galileo. html. PBS (2002). Who Was Galileo Galiei? Retrieved January 31, 2008 from www. pbs. org/wgbh/nova/galileo/media/lrk_handout. pdf. Wudka, J. (1998). Galileo and the Inquisition. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from http//phyun5. ucr. edu/wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node52. html.