Galileo • Discoveries • the Inquisition

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

ASTRONOMY 202 Spring 2007: Solar System Exploration Instructor: Dr. David Alexander Web-site: www.ruf.rice.edu/~dalex/ASTR202_S07 Class 8: The Science of Astronomy [2/5/07] Announcements The First Modern Scientist: Galileo • Discoveries • The Inquisition The Hallmarks of Science Objectivity vs. Subjectivity Discussion & Questions? Chapter 3 Announcements Homework 2 Issues • Show working • Coordinate systems • Circumpolar stars Homework 3 due Wednesday Feb 7 Homework 4 available online – due Mon Feb 12 The First Modern Scientist “And perhaps this planet [Saturn] also, no less than horned Venus, harmonizes admirably with the great Copernican system, to the universal revelation of which doctrine propitious breezes are now seen to be directed towards us, leaving little fear of clouds or crosswinds.” - Letters on Sunspots , Galileo, 1613 “You cannot help it Mr. Sarsi, that it was granted to me alone to discover all the new phenomena in the sky and nothing to anybody else. This is the truth which neither malice nor envy can suppress.” - Il Saggiatore , Galileo, 1623 Galileo Galilei [1564-1642] Galileo, often wrote in Italian rather than the standard Latin for scholarly works. He also Galileo died the same year that employed a Socratic approach by making his Isaac Newton was born. arguments in the form of a dialogue between the brilliant Sagredo and the not so brilliant Simplicio with the occasional help from a third ‘neutral’ See Rice’s own Galileo Project at interlocuter, Salviati. http://es.rice.edu/humsoc/Galileo/ The Great Observer Although Galileo did NOT discover sunspots, he was the first to argue that they were a solar phenomenon. Observations of Jupiter showed 4 ‘stars’ which changed their position with time leading Galileo to determine that they orbited the planet. Galileo’s telescope observations demonstrated that the Moon’s surface was not perfectly smooth. The Phases of Venus Aristotlian System Copernican System The observation of the full cycle of the phases of Venus was proof that at least one object in the solar system orbited the Sun. Ptolemaic System Tycho System Stellar Parallax Heliocentric World View finally confirmed by observation of stellar parallax The Hallmarks of Science A word on Occam’s Razor: Modern science has ‘corrupted’ the original maxim and turned it into a ‘law of The scientific method parsimony ’. The original allowed for ‘plurality ’ when ‘necessary ’. Summary of Chapter 3 Concepts Geocentric vs. Heliocentric • Plato, Aristotle and Aristarchus • Ptolemy and the need for epicycles • Copernicus and the need for epicycles Kepler ’s Laws • Empirical Laws • Elliptical orbits • Planets sweep out equal areas in equal times • Relationship between period and semi -major axis: p 2=a 3 Galileo and the heliocentric ‘universe ’ • Sunspots, mountains on moon – challenged perfect heavens • Jupiter ’s moons – challenged Earth as single center of everything • Phases of Venus – challenged idea that Venus went around the Earth Hallmarks of Science.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Recieved Notice Today That It Did Not Go Through
Scientists are People, Too: Biographies of Astronomical Scientists as a Literary Introduction to the Heliocentric Theory Autry McMorris Welch Middle School INTRODUCTION The Setting and Objectives One of the teaching tools that teachers often use is to take advantage of their students’ prior knowledge. This allows students to connect with the author or subject. Many students have had astronomical awareness or experiences as simple as Aristotle’s in 320 BC – that the Earth must be round because it casts a crescent shape on the moon. For me, it was an incidental thing that I sometimes noticed the moon out in the mornings and evenings when I walked my dogs. Almost as a type of entertainment, I started to anticipate where the moon would be positioned on my next walk. I found myself exhilarated as I could correctly anticipate its position. The key for me was that the moon was moving west, but because of the Earth’s rotation, it appeared to be moving east. At that moment, I shared an icon of truth with the great masters. Astronomy is very complex, to say the least. Some students, aware of their limitations, would not begin to broach the subject except from a non-threatening position. What if an introductory course were to be available that introduced the periphery of the subject? What if selected writings, biographies, autobiographies, theories and the like were a part of a curriculum to superimpose our literary devices of today on great works that were written hundreds of years ago? Copernicus described himself somewhat as candid and clear enough that both the unlearned as well as the learned might see that he was not seeking to flee from the judgment of any man, even if someone provided a guard against the bites of slanderers, the proverb holds that there is no medicine for the bite of a sycophant.
[Show full text]
A New Vision of the Senses in the Work of Galileo Galilei
Perception, 2008, volume 37, pages 1312 ^ 1340 doi:10.1068/p6011 Galileo's eye: A new vision of the senses in the work of Galileo Galilei Marco Piccolino Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita© di Ferrara, I 44100 Ferrara, Italy; e-mail: [email protected] Nicholas J Wade University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, Scotland, UK Received 4 December 2007 Abstract. Reflections on the senses, and particularly on vision, permeate the writings of Galileo Galilei, one of the main protagonists of the scientific revolution. This aspect of his work has received scant attention by historians, in spite of its importance for his achievements in astron- omy, and also for the significance in the innovative scientific methodology he fostered. Galileo's vision pursued a different path from the main stream of the then contemporary studies in the field; these were concerned with the dioptrics and anatomy of the eye, as elaborated mainly by Johannes Kepler and Christoph Scheiner. Galileo was more concerned with the phenomenology rather than with the mechanisms of the visual process. His general interest in the senses was psychological and philosophical; it reflected the fallacies and limits of the senses and the ways in which scientific knowledge of the world could be gathered from potentially deceptive appearances. Galileo's innovative conception of the relation between the senses and external reality contrasted with the classical tradition dominated by Aristotle; it paved the way for the modern understanding of sensory processing, culminating two centuries later in Johannes Mu« ller's elaboration of the doctrine of specific nerve energies and in Helmholtz's general theory of perception.
[Show full text]
THE STUDY of SATURN's RINGS 1 Thesis Presented for the Degree Of
1 THE STUDY OF SATURN'S RINGS 1610-1675, Thesis presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Field of History of Science by Albert Van Haden Department of History of Science and Technology Imperial College of Science and Teohnology University of London May, 1970 2 ABSTRACT Shortly after the publication of his Starry Messenger, Galileo observed the planet Saturn for the first time through a telescope. To his surprise he discovered that the planet does.not exhibit a single disc, as all other planets do, but rather a central disc flanked by two smaller ones. In the following years, Galileo found that Sa- turn sometimes also appears without these lateral discs, and at other times with handle-like appendages istead of round discs. These ap- pearances posed a great problem to scientists, and this problem was not solved until 1656, while the solution was not fully accepted until about 1670. This thesis traces the problem of Saturn, from its initial form- ulation, through the period of gathering information, to the final stage in which theories were proposed, ending with the acceptance of one of these theories: the ring-theory of Christiaan Huygens. Although the improvement of the telescope had great bearing on the problem of Saturn, and is dealt with to some extent, many other factors were in- volved in the solution of the problem. It was as much a perceptual problem as a technical problem of telescopes, and the mental processes that led Huygens to its solution were symptomatic of the state of science in the 1650's and would have been out of place and perhaps impossible before Descartes.
[Show full text]
The Role and Place of Galileo in the First Scientific Revolution
The role and place of Galileo in the first Scientific Revolution Galileo’s birthday: February, 15, 1564 Gheorghe Stratan NTAA-Dubna, 2014 Two Books: Copernicus and Newton YEAR DESCARTES KEPLER GALILEO | | | 1564…………...……….………………………………………….BORN | 1571………………..…………..…BORN……………………………… | | | | | | 1596…….BORN…...........….Mysterium.Cosm……………… 1600----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | 1609…………..| ……….........Astronomia Nova | 1610…………..|………………..……..|.......Sidereus Nuncius 1613…………..|..…………………………Letters on Sunspots 1618-------------WAR------------------WAR--------------WAR YEAR DESCARTES KEPLER GALILEI 1619……..…I……...................Harmonices..Mundi……………..I 1621..………I..………….....Epitome..Astronomiae……………..I 1623………..I…..…………………I…………………..Saggiatore I 1630…..……I……………………Dies………………................... 1632……......I…..……..…………………………………Dialogue 1633..………I.….……………………………………….........Trial 1637……Method………………………………………………….. 1638……......I.....................................................Two.New.Sciences 1642………..I…………………………………………………Dies 1650……..Dies…………………………………………………… Descartes, philosopher and mathematician (31.03.1596 – 11.02.1650) Kepler, the discoverer of planetary laws of motion (27.12.1571 — 15. 11.1630) Galileo, father of Modern Science (15. 02.1564 — 08. 01.1642) Galileo’s astronomical discoveries Galileo sees the Moon like a new Earth Galileo sees new stars Galileo sees four satellites of Jupiter Further observations: Saturn Further observations: Venus Christian Huygens Explains Galileo (1659) Galileo writes
[Show full text]
The Galileo Affair in Context: an Investigation of Influences on the Church During Galileo’S 1633 Trial
Xavier University Exhibit Honors Bachelor of Arts Undergraduate 2020-5 The Galileo Affair In Context: An Investigation of Influences on The Church During Galileo’s 1633 Trial Evan W. Lamping Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH Follow this and additional works at: https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/hab Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Ancient Philosophy Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, and the Other Classics Commons Recommended Citation Lamping, Evan W., "The Galileo Affair In Context: An Investigation of Influences on The Church During Galileo’s 1633 Trial" (2020). Honors Bachelor of Arts. 45. https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/hab/45 This Capstone/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate at Exhibit. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Bachelor of Arts by an authorized administrator of Exhibit. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Evan Lamping Dr. Byrne CPHAB Thesis The Galileo Affair In Context: An Investigation of Influences on The Church During Galileo’s 1633 Trial 1 I. Introduction When most people learn about the Galileo controversy of 1633, their knowledge of the affair is most commonly comprised of the facts of his condemnation on counts of heresy and possibly some other details about how and why his inquisition was conducted. These details are often simply concerned with the Church’s indefensible view of the earth as the center of the universe, combined with some scripture passages describing the sun as standing still or the earth being fixed in place and unmovable.
[Show full text]
Galileo, Ignoramus: Mathematics Versus Philosophy in the Scientific Revolution
Galileo, Ignoramus: Mathematics versus Philosophy in the Scientific Revolution Viktor Blåsjö Abstract I offer a revisionist interpretation of Galileo’s role in the history of science. My overarching thesis is that Galileo lacked technical ability in mathematics, and that this can be seen as directly explaining numerous aspects of his life’s work. I suggest that it is precisely because he was bad at mathematics that Galileo was keen on experiment and empiricism, and eagerly adopted the telescope. His reliance on these hands-on modes of research was not a pioneering contribution to scientific method, but a last resort of a mind ill equipped to make a contribution on mathematical grounds. Likewise, it is precisely because he was bad at mathematics that Galileo expounded at length about basic principles of scientific method. “Those who can’t do, teach.” The vision of science articulated by Galileo was less original than is commonly assumed. It had long been taken for granted by mathematicians, who, however, did not stop to pontificate about such things in philosophical prose because they were too busy doing advanced scientific work. Contents 4 Astronomy 38 4.1 Adoption of Copernicanism . 38 1 Introduction 2 4.2 Pre-telescopic heliocentrism . 40 4.3 Tycho Brahe’s system . 42 2 Mathematics 2 4.4 Against Tycho . 45 2.1 Cycloid . .2 4.5 The telescope . 46 2.2 Mathematicians versus philosophers . .4 4.6 Optics . 48 2.3 Professor . .7 4.7 Mountains on the moon . 49 2.4 Sector . .8 4.8 Double-star parallax . 50 2.5 Book of nature .
[Show full text]
Galileo's Cosmological View from the Sidereus Nuncius
FRANCO GIUDICE GALILEO’S COSMOLOGICAL VIEW FROM THE SIDEREUS NUNCIUS TO LETTERS ON SUNSPOTS ESTRATTO da GALILÆANA STUDIES IN RENAISSANCE AND EARLY MODERN SCIENCE Anno XI - 2014 Leo S. Olschki Editore Firenze GALILÆANAGALILÆANA JouStudiesrnal o f inG aRenaissancelilean Studies and Early Modern Science Galilæana approfondisce lo studio di tutti gli aspetti connessi alla figu- ra, aAsll’o indicatedpera, alle abycq uitsis iznewioni subtitlescientifi c–h eStudiese alla finor tRenaissanceuna di Galil eando G Earlyalilei. ModernPromoss Sciencea dal M u–s theeo G objectivealileo, e` pofub Galilaeanablicata sott ois gtoli apublishuspici d studieselle Un ionver stheita` lifedi F andiren zworke, Pa ofdo Galileo,va, Pisa easD wellomu ass Gresearchalilæan anot, e hdirectlya una p pertainingeriodicita` a tonn Galiuale-. leo, Gbutali lwhichæana hneverthelessa una signif ifocusescativa a ponpe relatedndice – figuresGalilæ aandna o themesn-line – fromsul s itheto earlyweb dmodernel Mus eperiod.o Galil Galilaeanaeo (www.m isu ssponsoredeogalileo.i tby/ga thelila eMuseoana.htm Galileol). Olt rande ag isli publishedindici cum uannuallylativi de lunderla rivis tthea, G auspicesalilæana ofon the-lin eUniversitypubblica laofd Florence,ocumenta ztheio- Universityne integrat iofva Padua,(testi m theano Universityscritti e a softa mPisa,pa, andtesti thedig iDomustali e m Galilaeana.ateriale icon o- grafAnico )indexcitata ofne allgli pastartic oissuesli a s taofm Galilaeanapa e indica, tincludinga con il si mthebo tableslo of con- tents of the articles published, lists of the accompanying source material and documentation (manuscripts and printed works, iconographic material), and links to digitalized copies of the material in this archive, may be accessed at theGa lwebsiteilæana sofea rtheche sMuseointo a lGalileol of the awww.museogalileo.it/galilaeana.htmlspects concerning the figure, work, scientific findings and fortunes of Galileo Galilei.
[Show full text]
The Golden Age of Statistical Graphics
Statistical Science 2008, Vol. 23, No. 4, 502–535 DOI: 10.1214/08-STS268 c Institute of Mathematical Statistics, 2008 The Golden Age of Statistical Graphics Michael Friendly Abstract. Statistical graphics and data visualization have long histo- ries, but their modern forms began only in the early 1800s. Between roughly 1850 and 1900 ( 10), an explosive growth occurred in both the general use of graphic± methods and the range of topics to which they were applied. Innovations were prodigious and some of the most exquisite graphics ever produced appeared, resulting in what may be called the “Golden Age of Statistical Graphics.” In this article I trace the origins of this period in terms of the infras- tructure required to produce this explosive growth: recognition of the importance of systematic data collection by the state; the rise of sta- tistical theory and statistical thinking; enabling developments of tech- nology; and inventions of novel methods to portray statistical data. To illustrate, I describe some speciﬁc contributions that give rise to the appellation “Golden Age.” Key words and phrases: Data visualization, history of statistics, smooth- ing, thematic cartography, Francis Galton, Charles Joseph Minard, Flo- rence Nightingale, Francis Walker. 1. INTRODUCTION range, size and scope of the data of modern science and statistical analysis. However, this is often done Data and information visualization is concerned without an appreciation or even understanding of with showing quantitative and qualitative informa- their antecedents. As I hope will become apparent tion, so that a viewer can see patterns, trends or here, many of our “modern” methods of statistical anomalies, constancy or variation, in ways that other graphics have their roots in the past and came to forms—text and tables—do not allow.
[Show full text]
Galileo's Arguments
The Scientiﬁc Methods of Galileo Arguing for a heliocentric system, and a new study of motion Waseda University, SILS, Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science LE201, History and Philosophy of Science Galileo Galilei Italy in the 16th century LE201, History and Philosophy of Science Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei (1564–1643) § Oldest of six children of a famous musician and composer. Had a monastic education. § Never married, but had three illegitimate daughters. § Worked as a professor of mathematics, in Venice, and later mathematician and philosopher of the Medici court, Florence. § Argued for the realist acceptance of the Copernican system. § Developed a number of new sciences using a combination of mathematics and experimentation. LE201, History and Philosophy of Science Galileo Galilei Bertini, Galileo demonstrating his telescope to the Duke of Venice LE201, History and Philosophy of Science Galileo Galilei Galileo’s Works Galileo was a proliﬁc writer, working in both Latin and Italian. He was regarded as having very good prose style. Works: The Starry Messenger (Sidereus Nuncius, 1610; Latin), Letters on Sunspots (Istoria e dimostrazioni intorno alle macchie solari e loro accidenti, 1613, Italian), Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina (1615; pub. in 1636, Italian), Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632; Italian); Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences (1638; Italian). LE201, History and Philosophy of Science Galileo Galilei The Starry Messenger, 1610 Galileo designed his own telescope and used it to make new observations – in fact, to see things that no one had ever seen before. § Mountains and valleys on the surface of the moon.
[Show full text]
Four Condemnations -1Qypp7l
Four Condemnations 1 Karsten Harries Four Condemnations Philosophy and Religion in Conflict Lecture Notes Fall Semester 2015 Yale University Copyright Karsten Harries Four Condemnations 2 Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. The Aristotelian Cosmos and the Creation Account of the Timaeus 13 3. Christian Appropriations of the Greek Understanding of Nature 22 4. The Arab Aristotle 33 5. The Instability of the Medieval Synthesis 46 6. Divine Freedom 56 7. Human Freedom 73 8. The Condemnation of Meister Eckhart and the Heresy of the Free Spirit 83 9. Medieval Communists 94 10. The Condemnation 105 11. Modes of Knowing 117 12. Anarchic Mysticism 125 13. Eckhart’s Teleological Suspension of the Ethical 137 14. The Burning of a Heretic 148 15. The Ash Wednesday Supper 163 16. The Copernican Revolution 175 17. The Return of the Sun 185 18. Political Implications 194 19. The Crime of Bruno 204 20. The Power of Mathematics 213 21. The Questionable Authority of the Eye 223 22. Conflicting Claims to Truth 234 23. Insight and Blindness of Galileo 246 Four Condemnations 3 24. Bellarmine Contra Galileo 257 25. Religion and the Freedom of Thought 269 26. Truth and Value Today 278 Four Condemnations 4 1. Introduction 1 In this course I plan to take a careful look at four famous condemnations: At issue is the genesis of our modern world, more especially the role that both science and religion play in that genesis. Each condemnation brings a different aspect of that genesis into focus. The four condemnations are 1) the Condemnation of 1277, 2) the condemnation of Meister Eckhart in 1328, 3) the condemnation and execution of Giordano Bruno in 1600, 4) the condemnation of Galileo Galilei in 1633.
[Show full text]
The Assayer - Galileo
The Assayer - Galileo demonstrations; and such is the strength of men's passion that they failed to notice how the contradiction of geometry is a The Assayer bald denial of truth. (1623) How many men attacked my Letters on Sunspots, and under (abridged, translation by Stillman Drake) what disguises! The material contained therein ought to have by Galileo Galilei opened to the minds eye much room for admirable specula- tion; instead it met with scorn and derision. Many people dis- believed it or failed to appreciate it. Others, not wanting to agree with my ideas, advanced ridiculous and impossible opin- Don Virginio Cesarini[1]: ions against me; and some, overwhelmed and convinced by my arguments, attempted to rob me of that glory which was I have never understood, Your Excellency, why it is that every mine, pretending not to have seen my writings and trying to one of the studies I have published in order to please or to represent themselves as the original discoverers of these im- serve other people has aroused in some men a certain perverse pressive marvels.[2] urge to detract, steal, or deprecate that modicum of merit which I thought I had earned, if not for my work, at least for its I say nothing of certain unpublished private discussions, dem- intention. In my Starry Messenger there were revealed many onstrations, and propositions of mine which have been im- new and marvelous discoveries in the heavens that should pugned or called worthless; yet even these have sometimes have gratiﬁed all lovers of true science; yet scarcely had it been been stumbled upon by other men who with admirable dexter- printed when men sprang up everywhere who envied the ity have exerted themselves to appropriate these as inventions praises belonging to the discoveries there revealed.
[Show full text]
Galileo: the First Optical Astronomer
Galileo: The First Optical Astronomer Introduction: A little over 410 years ago, in a time near what most historians consider to be the last days of the ‘Renaissance’, and just prior to start of the ‘Age of Enlightenment’, there was about a 150 year period, from the mid 15th to late 16th centuries, that saw a transformation of scientific ideas across the various philosophical sciences of biology, mathematics, and astronomy. This period in our history is called the ‘Scientific Revolution’, and came about from scholars questioning and turning away from the ancient Greek views that had dominated science for the past 1,500 years. This era was the foundation in establishing investigation and experimentation as the cornerstones of the modern sciences. One of the major figures of that period of scientific questioning was the 16th century Italian astronomer and mathematician Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642). Galileo straddled the old world of a natural philosopher, and mathematician, to that of the new world of modern science, and made fundamental contributions to science by his groundbreaking inventions and discoveries. He was one of the first to pioneer experimental scientific methods and in 1610 was the first astronomer to build and use a telescope and move the science of astronomy into a new age. Through Galileo’s work of studying the heavens with his new instrument, he broke new ground in our understanding of the universe, and along the way sparked a debate that challenged the ironclad rule of church doctrine over science. Today, we’re going to look back on his life and accomplishments as the first optical astronomer.
[Show full text]