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Re: Galileo



This book, while a good read, has not gotten universal support from
historians...it is after all a reconstruction based on limited evidence,
so I would be careful. That said, I think you have laid out Galileo's
situation well. It was his agressiveness that got him really in hot
water. However, he did not have demonstration for his claims, though he
(incorrectly) thought he had it with his model for the tides. Newton
got that right eventually. He went essentially political with his
claims, writing in Italian, the language of the people, putting the
pope's words in a simpleton's mouth, and so ran afoul of church
authority.
It was not as it is commonly portrayed...he prove nothing
satisfactorily, and got nailed for it.

cheers,

joe

On Sat, 2 Dec 2000, Tom McCarthy
wrote:

Galileo's Daughter is an account of the loving and professional relationship
Galileo enjoyed with his daughter, who was a nun confined to the convents
grounds. The story gives a thorough account of the position of prominence
that Galileo was held within the Roman Catholic intelligencia as well as the
world, at large. However, there were individuals with whom he had
embarrassed with his gift of argument that returned the barbs when issues of
heresy arose. He would have been burned at the stake or tortured to death
if he had been someone less esteemed. He was eventually confined to his
home for the rest of his life.
It is a good account of the times-the way people thought and behaved.
Tom
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Green" <JMGreen@SISNA.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 9:59 PM
Subject: Galileo


Someone said that--

Contrary to popular misconception, the Church was actually relatively
open to
Galileo's ideas, and Cardinal Baronius decided to help Galileo help
himself. But
Galileo was not particularly astute and almost tried to tick off everyone
in sight.

Is this true? The RCChurch and Galileo were on good terms?????




Jim Green
mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen