Galileo

Galileo’s Icy Moon

Four hundred years ago Galileo made a discovery that fundamentally shaped our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Using his powerful telescope he observed that the planet Jupiter had moons, which he initially thought to be planets. In March 1610, Galileo published his discoveries of Jupiter’s satellites and other celestial observations in

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Galileo’s Thermometer

Have you ever wondered why a boat made of steel floats in water while a solid bar of steel sinks? You might also wonder how the measurement of heat is related to buoyancy. At the start of the 17th Century, scientists wracked their brains to find a way to accurately detect the temperature of a

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Galileo the Astrologist

Did you know that Galileo read people’s horoscopes as a side business? In Europe during the late Renaissance Astrology played a very important role for many people and was highly regarded as a “science” alongside Astronomy and Mathematics. Military generals and noblemen would choose a particular date for their wedding or plan an important battle

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Newton and the apple

When scientist and polymath, Isaac Newton famously said “if I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants“, one of the giants he was referring to was Galileo. Newton (1643-1727), who emerged as one of the greatest minds of the 17th century, discovered the laws of motion and described gravity. A century

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Galileo and the Science Deniers

A new biography about Italian scientist, astronomer and mathematician, Galileo Galilei, makes a compelling argument that is as important today as it was 400 years ago. In Galileo and the Science Deniers, Mario Livio reveals Galileo’s courage and the personal struggles he endured throughout his life because of his unwavering search for the truth supported

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Galileo\’s professional rivalry

While teaching as head Mathematician at Padua University, Galileo became embroiled in an ongoing and heated public debate with his colleague Cesare Cremonini, a renowned Natural Philosopher. Cremonini, who followed the Aristotle school of belief that the planets (including the sun) orbit the Earth publicly denounced Galileo writing; It is hard to realize what a

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Scientist rebel

Galileo (1564-1642) challenged some of the fundamental knowledge of his time, providing proof that certain long held beliefs were incorrect, and paving the way for a better scientific future. In his time it was accepted that the Earth was at the centre of the universe and the planets, including the sun, rotated around it. Thanks

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