To Tell the Truth: Galileo Galilei Teacher Instructions: Have your students read a short biography on Galileo Galilei, which addresses the content (facts) contained in the script. If students read the two biographies in the links below, they should be able to distinguish between the “real” Galileo and the two impostors. The Galileo links are: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/galileo-galilei-123.php https://www.thoughtco.com/galileo-galilei-biography-1991864 Instructions for the “To Tell the Truth” strategy can be found at this Lesson Launch Blog link: https://www.ringoftruth.org. Challenger Number One is the “real” Galileo Galilei. Factual errors in the script have been highlighted in yellow. Script: Question 1: Please state your name. Number One: My name is Galileo Galilei. Number Two: My name is Galileo. Number Three: My name is Galileo. I have a last name but never use it. Question 2: When and where were you born? Number One: I was born in Pisa in 1524, the same year that Shakespeare was born. Number Two: My year of birth is 1524 in Pisa, the oldest of six children. Number Three: I am a native of Pisa in 1524. Did you know that Michelangelo died the same year I was born? Question 3: What university did you attend and what did you study? Number One: I attended the University of Pisa. Originally, I studied medicine, but later turned to the study of mathematics. Number Two: I attended the University of Padua. Mathematics was always my passion! Number Three: At first, I wanted to enter the priesthood, but my father convinced me to study medicine at the university in Pisa.

Dr. Paul E. Binford ©2017 www.ringoftruth.org Question 4: What was the dominant (or orthodox) view of the universe and how it operated during your early years? Number One: It was Aristole’s views. Number Two: Actually, it was the views of Copernicus that were widely accepted. This also included the Catholic Church. Number Three: It was, in fact, the views of Socrates or the Socratic Universe.

Questions 5: What view of the universe did you support throughout your scientific career? Number One: My observations fully supported the heliocentric view. In other words, the earth orbits around the sun. Number Two: The sun is the center of the cosmos. Number Three: I fully accept the Copernican Theory. Question 6: Where did you see an early prototype of your invention of the telescope? Number One: My memory is not the best, but I believe it was in the Netherlands. Number Two: I am sure it was Vienna, Austria in the bedroom of a printer’s house. Number Three: My mind is foggy on where, but I’m sure it was a spyglass that made distant things (like ships at sea) seem close up. Question 7: What was the magnifying power of your telescope? Number One: In 1609, I greatly improved the spyglass or you might say perfected it to the point where it was a new invention—the telescope. Early on it could magnify objects as much as ten-times and after more improvements twenty-times and, then, thirty-times! Number Two: Actually, I never used it at all; my observations were made with the naked eye. Since I did the drawings of the telescope, most people will give me the credit. Number Three: I just used a spyglass from the Netherlands. My contribution was turning the spyglass to the sky to observe the planets.

Dr. Paul E. Binford ©2017 www.ringoftruth.org Question 8: Could you please describe your astronomical discoveries? Number One: In addition to inventing the telescope, sort of speak, I also observed the rough, uneven, and mountainous surface of the moon. Number Two: Well, I made several important discoveries including the rings of Saturn. Number Three: I observed the four moons of Jupiter and noticed that the sun had imperfections. You probably call them sun spots. Question 9: Let’s get down to Earth for a moment. While a professor at the University of Pisa, you discovered the Law of Falling Bodies. You supposedly climbed to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and dropped two objects over the edge. What was your finding? Number One: Irrespective of weight or size the objects reached the ground at the same time taking into consideration wind resistance and other variables. Number Two: To be honest, that story is a myth. My only other invention beside the telescope is the bicycle. Did I tell you my middle name is Schwinn? Number Three: Essentially, the heaviest object reaches the ground first in a speed proportional to its size.

Question 10: How many times did you appear before the Inquisition? Number One: Twice. Number Two: Only once. Number Three: Two times. Question 11: Why did you believe Pope Urban VIII might allow you to resume your writing and teaching? Number One: Pope Urban, formerly Cardinal Barbarini, was a friend and patron of mine. Number Two: I named the seventh planet after him. You know it is called Urbanus. Number Three: Because I had recently been converted from Lutheranism to Catholicism.

Dr. Paul E. Binford ©2017 www.ringoftruth.org Question 12: What did you whisper at the end of your trial when you recanted the idea that the Earth moved? Number One: “And yet it moves.” Number Two: “Eppur si muove.” Number Three: “The morning dawn proves the pope wrong.”

Question 13: At the trial, you were forced to recant your heretical views and writings on the universe. What was your punishment? Number One: I lived out my days in house arrest. Number Two: I was burned at the stake for being a witch. Number Three: I was jailed for ten years until I died from the plague.

Dr. Paul E. Binford ©2017 www.ringoftruth.org