Galileo's discoveries in the field of astronomy. Galileo Galilei

Galileo Galilei is the greatest thinker of the Renaissance, the founder of modern mechanics, physics and astronomy, a follower of ideas, a predecessor.

The future scientist was born in Italy, the city of Pisa on February 15, 1564. Father Vincenzo Galilei, who belonged to an impoverished family of aristocrats, played the lute and wrote treatises on music theory. Vincenzo was a member of the Florentine Camerata, whose members sought to revive the ancient Greek tragedy. The result of the activities of musicians, poets and singers was the creation of a new genre of opera at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries.

Mother Giulia Ammannati ran the household and raised four children: the eldest Galileo, Virginia, Livia and Michelangelo. The youngest son followed in his father's footsteps and subsequently became famous as a composer. When Galileo was 8 years old, the family moved to the capital of Tuscany, the city of Florence, where the Medici dynasty flourished, known for its patronage of artists, musicians, poets and scientists.

At an early age, Galileo was sent to school at the Benedictine monastery of Vallombrosa. The boy showed abilities in drawing, learning languages ​​and exact sciences. From his father, Galileo inherited an ear for music and an ability for composition, but the young man was truly attracted only to science.

Studies

At the age of 17, Galileo went to Pisa to study medicine at the university. The young man, in addition to basic subjects and medical practice, became interested in attending math classes. The young man discovered the world of geometry and algebraic formulas, which influenced Galileo’s worldview. During the three years that the young man studied at the university, he thoroughly studied the works of ancient Greek thinkers and scientists, and also became acquainted with the heliocentric theory of Copernicus.

After his three-year stay at the educational institution, Galileo was forced to return to Florence due to the lack of funds for further studies from his parents. The university management did not make concessions to the talented young man and did not give him the opportunity to complete the course and receive an academic degree. But Galileo already had an influential patron, the Marquis Guidobaldo del Monte, who admired Galileo's talents in the field of invention. The aristocrat petitioned the Tuscan Duke Ferdinand I de' Medici for his ward and secured a salary for the young man at the ruler's court.

University work

The Marquis del Monte helped the talented scientist get a teaching position at the University of Bologna. In addition to lectures, Galileo conducts fruitful scientific activities. The scientist studies issues of mechanics and mathematics. In 1689, the thinker returned to the University of Pisa for three years, but now as a teacher of mathematics. In 1692, he moved to the Venetian Republic, the city of Padua, for 18 years.

Combining teaching work at a local university with scientific experiments, Galileo publishes the books “On Motion”, “Mechanics”, where he refutes the ideas. During these same years, one of the important events took place - the scientist invents a telescope, which made it possible to observe the life of celestial bodies. The astronomer described the discoveries made by Galileo using a new instrument in his treatise “The Starry Messenger”.

Returning to Florence in 1610, under the care of the Tuscan Duke Cosimo de' Medici II, Galileo published the work Letters on Sunspots, which was critically received by the Catholic Church. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Inquisition acted on a large scale. And the followers of Copernicus were held in special regard by the zealots of the Christian faith.

In 1600, he was already executed at the stake, who never renounced his own views. Therefore, Catholics considered the works of Galileo Galilei provocative. The scientist himself considered himself an exemplary Catholic and did not see a contradiction between his works and the Christocentric picture of the world. The astronomer and mathematician considered the Bible to be a book promoting the salvation of the soul, and not at all a scientific educational treatise.

In 1611, Galileo went to Rome to demonstrate the telescope to Pope Paul V. The scientist carried out the presentation of the device as correctly as possible and even received the approval of the capital's astronomers. But the scientist’s request to make a final decision on the issue of the heliocentric system of the world decided his fate in the eyes of the Catholic Church. The papists declared Galileo a heretic, and the indictment process began in 1615. The concept of heliocentrism was officially declared false by the Roman Commission in 1616.

Philosophy

The main postulate of Galileo's worldview is the recognition of the objectivity of the world, regardless of human subjective perception. The Universe is eternal and infinite, initiated by a divine first impulse. Nothing in space disappears without a trace, only a change in the form of matter occurs. The material world is based on the mechanical movement of particles, by studying which one can understand the laws of the universe. Therefore, scientific activity must be based on experience and sensory knowledge of the world. Nature, according to Galileo, is the true subject of philosophy, by comprehending which one can get closer to the truth and fundamental principle of all things.

Galileo was an adherent of two methods of natural science - experimental and deductive. Using the first method, the scientist sought to prove hypotheses, the second involved a consistent movement from one experience to another, in order to achieve completeness of knowledge. In his work, the thinker relied primarily on teaching. While criticizing the views, Galileo did not reject the analytical method used by the philosopher of antiquity.

Astronomy

Thanks to the telescope invented in 1609, which was created using a convex lens and a concave eyepiece, Galileo began observing the celestial bodies. But the threefold magnification of the first instrument was not enough for the scientist to carry out full-fledged experiments, and soon the astronomer created a telescope with a 32x magnification of objects.

Galileo Galilei's inventions: telescope and first compass

The first luminary that Galileo studied in detail using the new instrument was the Moon. The scientist discovered many mountains and craters on the surface of the Earth's satellite. The first discovery confirmed that the Earth is no different in physical properties from other celestial bodies. This was the first refutation of Aristotle’s assertion about the difference between earthly and heavenly natures.

The second major discovery in the field of astronomy concerned the discovery of four satellites of Jupiter, which in the 20th century was confirmed by numerous space photographs. Thus, he refuted the arguments of Copernicus’s opponents that if the Moon revolves around the Earth, then the Earth cannot revolve around the Sun. Galileo, due to the imperfections of the first telescopes, was unable to establish the rotation period of these satellites. The final proof of the rotation of Jupiter's moons was put forward 70 years later by the astronomer Cassini.

Galileo discovered the presence of sunspots, which he observed for a long time. Having studied the star, Galileo concluded that the Sun rotates around its own axis. Observing Venus and Mercury, the astronomer determined that the orbits of the planets are closer to the Sun than the Earth's. Galileo discovered the rings of Saturn and even described the planet Neptune, but he was unable to fully advance these discoveries due to imperfect technology. Observing the stars of the Milky Way through a telescope, the scientist became convinced of their immense number.

Experimentally and empirically, Galileo proves that the Earth rotates not only around the Sun, but also around its own axis, which further strengthened the astronomer in the correctness of the Copernican hypothesis. In Rome, after a hospitable reception at the Vatican, Galileo became a member of the Accademia dei Lincei, which was founded by Prince Cesi.

Mechanics

The basis of the physical process in nature, according to Galileo, is mechanical movement. The scientist viewed the Universe as a complex mechanism consisting of the simplest causes. Therefore, mechanics became the cornerstone of Galileo's scientific work. Galileo made many discoveries in the field of mechanics itself, and also determined the directions of future discoveries in physics.

The scientist was the first to establish the law of fall and confirm it empirically. Galileo discovered the physical formula for the flight of a body moving at an angle to a horizontal surface. The parabolic motion of a thrown object was important for the calculation of artillery tables.

Galileo formulated the law of inertia, which became the fundamental axiom of mechanics. Another discovery was the substantiation of the principle of relativity for classical mechanics, as well as the calculation of the formula for oscillation of pendulums. Based on this latest research, the first pendulum clock was invented in 1657 by the physicist Huygens.

Galileo was the first to pay attention to the resistance of material, which gave impetus to the development of independent science. The scientist’s reasoning subsequently formed the basis of the laws of physics on the conservation of energy in a gravitational field and the moment of force.

Mathematics

In his mathematical judgments, Galileo came close to the idea of ​​probability theory. The scientist outlined his own research on this matter in the treatise “Reflections on the Game of Dice,” which was published 76 years after the author’s death. Galileo became the author of the famous mathematical paradox about natural numbers and their squares. Galileo recorded his calculations in his work “Conversations on Two New Sciences.” The developments formed the basis of the theory of sets and their classification.

Conflict with the Church

After 1616, a turning point in Galileo’s scientific biography, he was forced into the shadows. The scientist was afraid to express his own ideas explicitly, so the only book Galileo published after Copernicus was declared a heretic was the 1623 work “The Assayer.” After the change of power in the Vatican, Galileo perked up; he believed that the new Pope Urban VIII would be more favorable to Copernican ideas than his predecessor.

But after the polemical treatise “Dialogue on the Two Main Systems of the World” appeared in print in 1632, the Inquisition again initiated proceedings against the scientist. The story with the accusation repeated itself, but this time it ended much worse for Galileo.

Personal life

While living in Padua, young Gallileo met a citizen of the Venetian Republic, Marina Gamba, who became the scientist’s common-law wife. Three children were born into Galileo's family - son Vincenzo and daughters Virginia and Livia. Since the children were born outside of marriage, the girls subsequently had to become nuns. At the age of 55, Galileo managed to legitimize only his son, so the young man was able to marry and give his father a grandson, who later, like his aunt, became a monk.

Galileo Galilei was outlawed

After the Inquisition outlawed Galileo, he moved to a villa in Arcetri, which was located not far from the daughters' monastery. Therefore, quite often Galileo could see his favorite, eldest daughter Virginia, until her death in 1634. The younger Livia did not visit her father due to illness.

Death

As a result of a short-term imprisonment in 1633, Galileo renounced the idea of ​​heliocentrism and was placed under permanent arrest. The scientist was placed under home protection in the city of Arcetri with restrictions on communication. Galileo stayed in the Tuscan villa until the last days of his life. The genius's heart stopped on January 8, 1642. At the time of death, two students were next to the scientist - Viviani and Torricelli. During the 30s, it was possible to publish the last works of the thinker - “Dialogues” and “Conversations and mathematical proofs concerning two new branches of science” in Protestant Holland.

Tomb of Galileo Galilei

After his death, Catholics forbade burying Galileo's ashes in the crypt of the Basilica of Santa Croce, where the scientist wanted to rest. Justice triumphed in 1737. From now on, Galileo's grave is located next to. Another 20 years later, the church rehabilitated the idea of ​​heliocentrism. Galileo had to wait much longer for his acquittal. The error of the Inquisition was only recognized in 1992 by Pope John Paul II.

Many articles are dedicated to the great Italian mathematician, physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei. Of course, it is worth noting that he turned out to be an outstanding scientist of the Renaissance, in which the Holy Inquisition also played its role.

Invention of the telescope

The great scientist knew very well that a pipe was invented in Holland that allows you to see the sky up close. Without thinking twice, the scientist creates his own pipe and calls it a telescope. After careful measurements and calculations, Galileo's telescope turns out to be incredibly accurate (for those times), but it also allows Galileo to make a lot of discoveries.

Galileo made his very first discovery after a detailed study of the surface of the Moon. He not only proved, but also described in detail the mountains that are on the surface of the Moon.

Galileo's second discovery was the Milky Way. The scientist proved that it consists of a cluster of many stars. In addition to such a cluster of stars, the scientist suggested that there are other galaxies in the world that can be located in different planes of the vast Universe.

The third most significant and significant discovery was the 4 satellites of Jupiter.

With his observations, Galileo simply and accurately proved that any cosmic body can rotate around other celestial bodies and not only around the Earth. The great astronomer examined and described in detail the spots on the Sun, of course, other people saw them, but no one was able to adequately and correctly describe them until Galileo Galilei did it.

In addition to observing the Moon, Galileo also revealed to the world the phases of the planet Venus. In his writings, he compared the phases of Venus with the phases of the Moon. All such important and significant observations boiled down to the fact that the Earth, along with other planets of our galaxy, revolves around the Sun.

Galileo described all his observations and discoveries in a scientific book called “Star Messenger”. It was after reading this book and the discoveries that Galileo made that almost all monarchs in Europe demanded the purchase of a telescope. The scientist himself gave several of his inventions to his patrons.

Of course, compared to current telescopes like Hubble, the Galileo telescope looks uncomplicated and simple. If you think about the fact that such a primitive device allowed one person to make a huge number of discoveries, then it becomes clear that it doesn’t matter whether a person’s device is supernew or old - the main thing is that the person looking into it has an extraordinary mind.

The device of the Galileo Galilei telescope contained a telescope, at the end of which a biconvex lens was installed on one side, through which light passed and was focused on a lens called focus, then the entire image was fed into the eyepiece, where it was magnified. Galileo's most powerful telescope magnified the image 30 times. The discovery of a supernova and an accurate telescope of that era allowed Galileo to lead a comfortable lifestyle, but he, as a true scientist, tried to prove Copernicus was right, for which he was punished.

“ShkolaLa” welcomes all its readers who want to know a lot.

Once upon a time everyone thought like this:

The earth is a flat, huge nickel,

But one man took the telescope,

Opened the way for us to the space age.

Who do you think this is?

Among the world-famous scientists is Galileo Galilei. In which country you were born and how you studied, what you discovered and what you became famous for - these are the questions to which we will look for answers today.

Lesson plan:

Where are future scientists born?

The poor family where little Galileo Galilei was born in 1564 lived in the Italian city of Pisa.

The father of the future scientist was a true master in various fields, from mathematics to art history, so it is not at all surprising that from childhood young Galileo fell in love with painting and music and gravitated towards the exact sciences.

When the boy turned eleven, the family from Pisa, where Galileo lived, moved to another city in Italy - Florence.

There he began his studies in a monastery, where the young student demonstrated brilliant abilities in the study of sciences. He even thought about a career as a clergyman, but his father did not approve of his choice, wanting his son to become a doctor. That is why, at seventeen, Galileo moved to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Pisa and began to diligently study philosophy, physics and mathematics.

However, he was unable to graduate from university for a simple reason: his family could not pay for his further education. Having left the third year, student Galileo begins self-education in the field of physical and mathematical sciences.

Thanks to his friendship with the wealthy Marquis del Monte, the young man managed to obtain a paid scientific position as a teacher of astronomy and mathematics at the University of Pisa.

During his university work, he conducted various experiments, the result of which were the laws of free fall, the movement of a body on an inclined plane and the force of inertia that he discovered.

Since 1606, the scientist has been closely involved in astronomy.

Interesting Facts! The full name of the scientist is Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de Galilei.

About mathematics, mechanics and physics

It is said that, while a university professor in the town of Pisa, Galileo conducted experiments by dropping objects of different weights from the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to disprove Aristotle's theory. Even in some textbooks you can find such a picture.

Only these experiments are not mentioned anywhere in Galileo’s works. Most likely, as researchers today believe, this is a myth.

But the scientist rolled objects along an inclined plane, measuring time by his own heart pulse. There were no accurate clocks back then! These very experiments were put into the laws of motion of bodies.

Galileo was credited with inventing the thermometer in 1592. The device was then called a thermoscope, and it was completely primitive. A thin glass tube was soldered to the glass ball. This structure was placed in liquid. The air in the ball heated up and displaced the liquid in the tube. The higher the temperature, the more air in the ball and the lower the water level in the tube.

In 1606, an article appeared where Galileo laid out a drawing of a proportional compass. This is a simple tool that converted measured dimensions to scale and was used in architecture and drafting.

Galileo is credited with the invention of the microscope. In 1609, he made a “small eye” with two lenses - convex and concave. Using his invention, the scientist examined insects.

With his research, Galileo laid the foundations of classical physics and mechanics. Thus, on the basis of his conclusions about inertia, Newton subsequently established the first law of mechanics, according to which any body is at rest or moves uniformly in the absence of external forces.

His studies of pendulum oscillations formed the basis for the invention of the pendulum clock and made it possible to make precise measurements in physics.

Interesting Facts! Galileo not only excelled in the natural sciences, but was also a creative person: he had an excellent knowledge of literature and composed poetry.

About astronomical discoveries that shocked the world

In 1609, a scientist heard a rumor about the existence of a device that could help view distant objects by collecting light. If you already guessed, it was called a telescope, which is translated from Greek as “look far away.”

For his invention, Galileo modified the telescope with lenses, and this device was capable of magnifying objects 3 times. Time after time, he assembled a new combination of several telescopes, and it gave more and more magnification. As a result, Galileo’s “visionary” began to zoom in 32 times.

What discoveries in the field of astronomy belonged to Galileo Galilei and made him famous throughout the world, becoming real sensations? How did his invention help the scientist?

• Galileo Galilei told everyone that this is a planet comparable to the Earth. He saw plains, craters and mountains on its surface.
• Thanks to the telescope, Galileo discovered four satellites of Jupiter, today called “Galilean”, and appeared to everyone in the form of a strip, crumbling into many stars.
• By placing smoked glass at the telescope, the scientist was able to examine it, see spots on it and prove to everyone that it was the Earth that revolved around it, and not vice versa, as Aristotle believed and religion and the Bible said.
• He was the first to see the surroundings, which he took for satellites, today known to us as rings, found different phases of Venus and made it possible to observe previously unknown stars.

Galileo Galilei combined his discoveries in the book “Star Messenger”, confirming the hypothesis that our planet is mobile and rotates around an axis, and the sun does not revolve around us, which caused the condemnation of the church. His work was called heresy, and the scientist himself lost his freedom of movement and was placed under house arrest.

Interesting Facts! It is quite surprising for our developed world that it was only in 1992 that the Vatican and the Pope recognized that Galileo was right about the rotation of the Earth around the Sun. Until this time, the Catholic Church was sure that the opposite was happening: our planet is motionless, and the Sun “walks” around us.

This is how you can briefly tell about the life of an outstanding scientist who gave impetus to the development of astronomy, physics and mathematics.

A famous science and entertainment television program was named after Galileo Galilei. The host of this program, Alexander Pushnoy, and his colleagues conducted all sorts of different experiments and tried to explain what they did. I suggest watching an excerpt from this wonderful program right now.

“ShkolaLa” says goodbye for a while to look for and share useful information with you again and again.

The main merit of G. Galileo to astronomy lies not even in his discoveries, but in the fact that he gave this science a working instrument - the telescope. Some historians (in particular, N. Budur) call G. Galileo a plagiarist who appropriated the invention of the Dutchman I. Lippershney. The accusation is unfair: G. Galileo knew about the Dutch “magic trumpet” only from the Venetian envoy, who did not report on the design of the device.

G. Galileo himself guessed about the structure of the pipe and designed it. In addition, I. Lippershney’s telescope provided a threefold magnification; this was not enough for astronomical observations. G. Galileo managed to achieve an increase of 34.6 times. With such a telescope it was possible to observe celestial bodies.

With the help of his invention, the astronomer saw the Sun and guessed from their movement that the Sun was rotating. He observed the phases of Venus, saw the mountains on the Moon and their shadows, from which he calculated the height of the mountains.

G. Galileo's telescope made it possible to see the four largest satellites of Jupiter. G. Galileo named them Medicean stars in honor of his patron Ferdinand de Medici, Duke of Tuscany. Subsequently, they were given other names: Callisto, Ganymede, Io and Europa. The significance of this discovery for the era of G. Galileo is difficult to overestimate. There was a struggle between supporters of geocentrism and heliocentrism. The discovery of celestial bodies revolving not around the Earth, but around another object, was a serious argument in favor of the theory of N. Copernicus.

Other sciences

Physics in the modern sense begins with the works of G. Galileo. He is the founder of the scientific method, combining experiment and rational understanding.

This is how he studied, for example, the free fall of bodies. The researcher found that the body's weight did not affect its free fall. Along with the laws of free fall, he discovered the movement of a body on an inclined plane, inertia, a constant period of oscillation, and the addition of movements. Many of G. Galileo's ideas were subsequently developed by I. Newton.

In mathematics, the scientist made a significant contribution to the development of probability theory, and also laid the foundations of set theory, formulating the “Galileo's paradox”: there are as many natural numbers as there are their squares, although most of the numbers are not squares.

Inventions

The telescope is not the only device designed by G. Galileo.

This scientist created the first thermometer, albeit without a scale, as well as hydrostatic balances. The proportional compass, invented by G. Galileo, is still used in drawing. G. Galileo also designed a microscope. It did not provide high magnification, but was suitable for studying insects.

The influence exerted by G. Galileo's discoveries on the further development of science was truly fateful. And A. Einstein was right when he called G. Galileo “the father of modern science.”

Sources:

• Galileo. Discoveries

The name Galileo Galilei is known not only to scientists, but also to many ordinary schoolchildren. The great Italian physicist, scientist, astronomer and mechanic, as well as philologist and poet, spent his entire life fighting against scholasticism and said that the basis of knowledge is experience.

Galileo was born on February 15, 1564 in the Italian city of Pisa. When the baby grows up and becomes a guy with a higher education, he will present the world with a telescope with the possibility of 32x magnification. Galileo Galilei discovered spots on the Sun and mountains on the Moon, phases on Venus and four moons of Jupiter.

Such great discoveries were made thanks to the scientist’s ability to observe and draw conclusions from everything he saw. The maestro laid the foundations of the current theory of relativity. Galileo thermoscope, which became the prototype of the thermometer. But Galileo's greatest discovery lies in the heliocentric system of the world he put forward. This system assumed the movement of the Earth. Before this discovery, people adhered to the point of view that the planet Earth is motionless and it is around it that all other luminaries rotate.

Because of his scientific research, the scientist was subjected to the Inquisition. The Catholic Church called thoughts about the movement of planet Earth a heretical delusion that contradicts the Holy Scriptures. However, the degree of his guilt was not so serious as to burn the scientist at the stake. Galileo was sentenced to imprisonment. Only in modern times was he acquitted by Pope John Paul II.

In January 1642, the world lost Galileo Galilei. He was 78 years old, and his merits were not even honored so that the scientist was buried with honors. Galileo Galilei is a scientist who made the modern world much more perfect.

The scientific activity of Galileo Galilei is considered the beginning of the existence of physics as a science in the modern understanding of the word. In addition to his fundamental discoveries, this great scientist invented and designed many applied instruments.

Fundamental principles and laws of motion

Galileo's main discoveries are considered to be two basic principles of mechanics; they had a significant impact not only on the development of mechanics, but also physics in general. The first of them is the principle of constancy of the acceleration of gravity, the second is the principle of relativity for uniform and linear motion.

In addition to these two principles, Galileo Galilei discovered the laws of constant period of oscillation and addition of motions, inertia and free fall. He discovered the most important patterns in the movement of bodies thrown at an angle, as well as when they move along an inclined plane.

In 1638, Galileo's book Discourses and Mathematical Proofs was published, in which he presented his thoughts regarding the laws of motion in a mathematical and academic form. The range of problems discussed in the book was very wide - from statics problems to the study of the resistance of materials and the laws of motion of a pendulum.

Invention of instruments and astronomical discoveries

In 1609, Galileo created a device that was an analogue of the modern telescope; it was based on an optical one, which involved convex and concave lenses. Using this device, the scientist observed the night sky. Subsequently, Galileo made a full-fledged telescope for that time from this device.

Galileo's observations revolutionized the understanding of space that existed at that time. He discovered that the Moon is covered with mountains and depressions, before which it was considered smooth, discovered the phases of Venus and sunspots, indicated that the Milky Way consists of stars, and Jupiter is surrounded by four satellites.

Galileo's astronomical discoveries, his conclusions and justifications resolved the dispute between supporters of the teachings of Copernicus and the followers of Aristotle and Ptolemy. He presented obvious arguments showing that the Ptolemaic system was erroneous.

In 1610, the scientist developed an inverse version of the telescope - a microscope; he simply changed the distance between the lenses in the telescope he had already created. Back in 1592, Galileo designed a thermoscope - an analogue of the modern thermometer, and after that he invented many important applied instruments.

The great Italian Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), who did a lot for the development of mathematics, mechanics, and physics, achieved amazing success in the study of celestial bodies. He became famous not only for a number of astronomical discoveries, but also for the enormous courage with which he defended the teachings of Copernicus, prohibited by the all-powerful church. In 1609, Galileo learned that a far-seeing device had appeared in Holland (this is how the word “telescope” is translated from Greek). The basis of this device is a combination of optical glasses. He assembled several telescopes, each subsequent one giving an increasing magnification, and if the first magnified only 3.5 times, then the best of the Galilean telescopes gave a magnification of 33 times. With the help of these homemade instruments, Galileo made great discoveries.

The Moon is not an ethereal body of light gases, but a planet similar to the Earth, with vast plains and mountains, the height of which Galileo determined by the length of the shadow they cast.

While observing the Sun (Galileo placed smoked glass against the lens), the scientist discovered spots that moved. J. Bruno's guess was confirmed: the Sun rotates around its axis, just like our Earth. Through a telescope, Jupiter is visible not alone, but with four satellites that revolve around it, as if it were a miniature solar system.

The Milky Way is a hazy streak across the sky, visible through a telescope as it disintegrates into countless stars.

Galileo's discoveries revolutionized people's worldviews. The Copernican system and the brilliant foresights of Giordano Bruno were confirmed. Galileo, the worst enemy of religion, continues the work of Copernicus and Bruno - he spreads the doctrine of the heliocentric system of the world. He managed to publish a book, for which the elderly scientist was subsequently brutally persecuted by the Inquisition. Under threat of torture or death, he was forced to renounce his discoveries. He was forbidden to write anything. The poor old man died in poverty, contempt and loneliness. But he understood that, despite all the persecution, the truth would triumph. The legend about this great scientist says that his last words were: “But still she spins!”

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