Why Raccon Chose Galileo: ( according to the biography, and not from actually knowing him; which would be a thrill! )
Galileo was the son of a successful musician; and his father gave young Galileo the best 'late' Renaissance education possible; which meant law, theology, or medicine.
Originally Galileo enrolled in the U of Pisa to study medicine; and after 4 years, he left without a degree!! He got all wrapped up in mathmatics and philosophy.
Realizing that Pisa was a Aristotlian "dead end", he began his Mathmatical Teaching career. In Padua he instructed for 18 years. Fortunately for Mr. Galileo, Padua was Venetian and beyond the Control and Meddlings of the Church!
To make it short, Galileo realized that unequal masses fall in equal times!, and being the clever fellow he was, realized "that distance intervals increase by law of the square against elapsed time, which could only mean a constant acceleration."
So, he did not discover the law of Gravity, BUT he saw what kind of law it must be!!! ( FOR yOU nEWTON gUYS
)
He discovered the correct formulation of "isochronicity" of pendulums, leading to a new means of Time Keeping!
Still, whats refreshing about Sir Galileo was his Free Thinking ability!!!
His detachment from doctrine. " Any position contradicted by results is worth abandoning !" he eloquently stated
Yes, he made his mistakes as well, like in his 'moon/tide theory' ; although he was on the right track.
Although he initially rejected Copernican views of planets orbiting the Sun, Galileo, by observation from the "Worlds Greatest Telescope" in which HE BUILT in 1610, confirmed that truth!
He communicated his theories in the " Nuncius Siderius ", ( The Starry Messenger ) Much to the Chagrin of the Beurocratic Church which Dominated his era.
Galileo saw moons around Jupiter, valleys and mountains on the Moon!!!
Of course, the DUNG HIT the 'working theocracy' (ie priests and frairs) that resulted in a 'convocation of Qualifiers of the Holy Office' in 1616.
They forced him to recant and let it be known his heresy, Yada, yada, yada.
Galileo was ahead of his time , ( and worked with Keplers ideas as well as being his friend ) and paved the way for Newton and others!
I personally admire a Man who stood up so valiently and intellectually against the terrible theocracy that could have been our fate!
And upon that note, every Genius on this list Must Have felt the same thing.
TRUTH follows 3 steps: 1) it's ridiculed 2) it's violently opposed 3) Its finally accepted as true.
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Your Friendly Neighborhood Administrator
Re: Greatest Scientist Ever???
We have a similar thread here at Hypography which asks the open question "who of all scientists is..."; however, as the list Racoon gives here is from a book on the topic, we must logically constrain our pick to that list.
Simply the best one.
semantics is not always just pedantic quibbling. ~ douglas r. hofstadter
