February 15, 1564: Galileo Galilei is born
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Scientific field: Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics
Known for: Kinematics, Solar System, Telescope
Italian natural philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, Galileo galilei made fundamental contributions to the sciences of motion, astronomy, and strength of materials and to the development of the scientific method.
His formulation of (circular) inertia, the law of falling bodies, and parabolic trajectories marked the beginning of a fundamental change in the study of motion.
His insistence that the book of nature was written in the language of mathematics changed natural philosophy from a verbal, qualitative account to a mathematical one in which experimentation became a recognized method for discovering the facts of nature.
Finally, his discoveries with the telescope revolutionized astronomy and paved the way for the acceptance of the Copernican heliocentric system, but his advocacy of that system eventually resulted in an Inquisition process against him.(1)
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Personal note: I wish I could add more, but an extensive account on the life and works of one of the modern science’s giants would be beyond the purpose of this post. There have been countless books written, countless programs aired documenting and probably covering all the possible aspects of his biography.
For documentary lovers, I’d warmly recommend watching “Genius: Galileo” for the biographical side, as well as selected episodes from the video learning course “The Mechanical Universe - And Beyond” for the uttermost scientific importance of his work.
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