 |
| Galileo Galilei |
Born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa,
Italy, Galileo Galilei was a
mathematics professor who made pioneering observations of nature with
long-lasting implications for the study of physics. He also constructed a
telescope and supported the Copernican theory, which supports a sun-centered
solar system. Galileo was accused twice of heresy by the church for his
beliefs, and wrote books on his ideas. He died in Arcetri, Italy, on January 8,
1642.
Galileo Galilei was born on February
15, 1564, in Pisa in the Duchy of Florence, Italy. He was the first of six
children born to Vincenzo Galilei, a well-known musician and music theorist,
and Giulia Ammannati. In 1574, the family moved to Florence, where Galileo
started his formal education at the Camaldolese monastery in Vallombrosa.
In 1583, Galileo entered the
University of Pisa to study medicine. Armed with high intelligence and talent,
he soon became fascinated with many subjects, particularly mathematics and
physics. While at Pisa, Galileo was exposed to the Aristotelian view of the
world, then the leading scientific authority and the only one sanctioned by the
Roman Catholic Church. At first, Galileo supported this view, like any other
intellectual of his time, and was on track to be a university professor.
However, due to financial difficulties, Galileo left the university in 1585
before earning his degree.
Galileo continued to study
mathematics, supporting himself with minor teaching positions. During this time
he began his two-decade study on objects in motion and published The Little
Balance, describing the hydrostatic principles of weighing small
quantities, which brought him some fame. This gained him a teaching post at the
University of Pisa, in 1589. There Galileo conducted his fabled experiments
with falling objects and produced his manuscript Du Motu (On Motion),
a departure from Aristotelian views about motion and falling objects. Galileo
developed an arrogance about his work, and his strident criticisms of Aristotle left him
isolated among his colleagues. In 1592, his contract with the University of
Pisa was not renewed.
Galileo quickly found a new position
at the University of Padua, teaching geometry, mechanics and astronomy. The
appointment was fortunate, for his father had died in 1591, leaving Galileo
entrusted with the care of his younger brother Michelagnolo. During his 18-year
tenure at Padua, he gave entertaining lectures and attracted large crowds of
followers, further increasing his fame and his sense of mission.
Controversial Findings
In 1604, Galileo published The
Operations of the Geometrical and Military Compass, revealing his skills
with experiments and practical technological applications. He also constructed
a hydrostatic balance for measuring small objects. These developments brought
him additional income and more recognition. That same year, Galileo refined his
theories on motion and falling objects, and developed the universal law of
acceleration, which all objects in the universe obeyed.
Galileo began to express openly his
support of the Copernican theory that the earth and planets revolved around the
sun. This challenged the doctrine of Aristotle and the
established order set by the Catholic Church.
In July 1609, Galileo learned about a
simple telescope built by Dutch eyeglass makers, and he soon developed one of
his own. In August, he demonstrated it to some Venetian merchants, who saw its
value for spotting ships and gave Galileo salary to manufacture several of
them. However, Galileo’s ambition pushed him to go further, and in the fall of
1609 he made the fateful decision to turn his telescope toward the heavens. In
March 1610, he published a small booklet, The Starry Messenger,
revealing his discoveries that the moon was not flat and smooth, but a sphere
with mountains and craters. He found Venus had phases like the moon, proving it
rotated around the sun. He also discovered Jupiter had revolving moons, which
didn’t revolve around the earth.
Soon Galileo began mounting a body of
evidence that supported Copernican theory and contradicted Aristotle and Church
doctrine. In 1612, he published his Discourse on Bodies in Water,
refuting the Aristotelian explanation of why objects float in water, saying
that it wasn’t because of their flat shape, but instead the weight of the
object in relation to the water it displaced. In 1613, he published his
observations of sunspots, which further refuted Aristotelian doctrine that the
sun was perfect. That same year, Galileo wrote a letter to a student to explain
how Copernican theory did not contradict Biblical passages, stating that
scripture was written from an earthly perspective and implied that science
provided a different, more accurate perspective. The letter was made public and
Church Inquisition consultants pronounced Copernican theory heretical. In 1616,
Galileo was ordered not to “hold, teach, or defend in any manner” the
Copernican theory regarding the motion of the earth. Galileo obeyed the order
for seven years, partly to make life easier and partly because he was a devoted
Catholic.
In 1623, a friend of Galileo, Cardinal
Maffeo Barberini, was selected as Pope Urban VIII. He allowed Galileo to pursue
his work on astronomy and even encouraged him to publish it, on condition it be
objective and not advocate Copernican theory. In 1632, Galileo published the Dialogue
Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, a discussion among three people:
one who supports Copernicus' heliocentric theory of the universe, one who
argues against it, and one who is impartial. Though Galileo claimed Dialogues
was neutral, it was clearly not. The advocate of Aristotelian belief comes
across as the simpleton, getting caught in his own arguments.
Reaction by the Church
Church reaction against the book was
swift, and Galileo was summoned to Rome. The Inquisition proceedings lasted
from September 1632 to July 1633. During most of this time, Galileo was treated
with respect and never imprisoned. However, in a final attempt to break him,
Galileo was threatened with torture, and he finally admitted he had supported
Copernican theory, but privately held that his statements were correct.
He was convicted of heresy and spent
his remaining years under house arrest. Though ordered not to have any visitors
nor have any of his works printed outside of Italy, he ignored both. In 1634, a
French translation of his study of forces and their effects on matter was
published, and a year later, copies of the Dialogue were published in
Holland. While under house arrest, Galileo wrote Two New Sciences, a
summary of his life’s work on the science of motion and strength of materials.
It was printed in Holland in 1638. By this time, he had become blind and in ill
health.
Death and Legacy
Galileo died in Arcetri, near
Florence, Italy, on January 8, 1642, after suffering from a fever and heart
palpitations. But in time, the Church couldn’t deny the truth in science. In
1758, it lifted the ban on most works supporting Copernican theory, and by 1835
dropped its opposition to heliocentrism altogether.
In the 20th century, several popes
acknowledged the great work of Galileo, and in 1992, Pope John Paul II
expressed regret about how the Galileo affair was handled. Galileo's
contribution to our understanding of the universe was significant not only in
his discoveries, but in the methods he developed and the use of mathematics to
prove them. He played a major role in the scientific revolution and, deservedly
so, earned the moniker "The Father of Modern Science."
Personal Life
In 1600, Galileo met Marina Gamba, a
Venetian woman, who bore him three children out of wedlock: daughters Virginia
and Livia, and son Vincenzo. He never married Marina, possibly due to financial
worries and possibly fearing his illegitimate children would threaten his
social standing. He worried the two girls would never marry well, and when they
were older, had them enter a convent. His son’s birth was eventually
legitimized and he became a successful musician.
Tiada ulasan:
Catat Ulasan