 Physics Lectures '10 |
Galileo Galilei
I Thirteen-year-old girl
born in 1600
Illegitimate
no chance to marry
"given" to a convent--a life of poverty as a nun
II The girl's father
Galileo Galilei
b 15 Feb 1564
d 8 Jan 1642
The name Galileo goes back to land of Galilee. Not Jews, however, these are Italians living in Italy
Galileo's father taught music
wanted his son to become a doctor
Galileo wanted to become a mathematician
Sent at 13 to a Benedictine monastery to become a monk
Studied Latin Greek and Logic
Left the monastery
Goes to the University of Pisa (1583)
Studies medicine and math--leaves in 1585 without a degree and moves home with dad
Hangs out writes proofs, tutors students, and in 1589 gets a job at U. of Pisa
III The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Aristotle: objects of different weight fall at different rates
Galileo: nonsense! Experiment! Legend has it that he climbed the eight-story spiral staircase with canonballs
IIII The Woman
Moves to U. of Padua--Republic of Venice--for more $
Meets Marina Gamba
together for 12 years and have three children--two daughters and a son
lived a five-minute walk from G's home
V Telescopes
Learns of a Dutch instrument called a spyglass
Grinds own lenses and makes a 20X telescope
Makes drawings of the moon
Discovers four moons of Jupiter
VI Back to Florence and the U of Pisa
More $
No students to teach
His mistress marries a man of her station
VII Religion and philosophy of the time
The earth is the center of the universe
We of course know that we are one of many, many stars in one of billions and billions of galaxies.
To suggest otherwise was to challenge the Church
How: by looking through a telescope and trying to make sense of the data
Writes a book--Dialogue
This leads to GREAT problems
1633 brought before the Holy Office of the Inquisition
Dialogue banned by the Catholic Church
VIII Dies 1642 that same year Isaac Newton is born
SPB