Galileo Galilei And The Modern Experimental Method

While at Pisa and Padua, Galileo was busy working out the mechanics of his observations. It would be a long time before he actually published his results. One of his major contributions to mechanics was his theory of inertia. He conducted numerous experiments by rolling balls on a variety of inclines. Using various inclines, and various size balls, his observations led him to a new understanding of what is ‘natural’ to objects. First, he stated that motion is as natural as rest for any object. Secondly, he rebutted the medieval thought that all motion could be explained in terms of cause and purpose. “I hold,” Galileo stated, “that there exists nothing in external bodies ... but size, shape, quantity and motion.” Galileo became famous for his astronomical observations in the early 1600’s, and earned a position at the Florentine court. Early in 1609, Galileo learned of the invention of a telescope that was able to magnify objects up to 3 times. After acquiring one, he improved upon it and made the first the first astronomically useful instrument. In his writing, Sidereus Nuncius (The Starry Messenger, written in 1610), he described his observations of the

Galileo Galilei was considered the central figure of the scientific revolution of the 17th century. His role in the history of science was a critical one. He revolutionized the way in which science was conducted, and performed experiments to test his ideas, which led him to be regarded as the father of experimental science. Galileo was born on February 15th, 1564 in Pisa, and was the oldest of seven children. His father, Vincenzo Galilei was a famous composer, lutenist, and music theorist. In 1572 at the age of eight, Galileo’s family moved to Florence, however Galileo stayed behind in Pisa and lived with Muzio Tedaldi who was related to Galileo’s mother for 2 two years. By the age of ten, Galileo joined his family in

Galileo was a child of Vincenzo Galilei, a well-educated musician and scholar who made crucial theories and practice in the music field. In his mid-teens, Galileo went to monastery school, then later went to study medicine at the University of Pisa in 1581. When studying, Galileo was distracted by his interest in Mathematics, a profession that his father disagreed with. Soon after, Galileo left university without a degree but started tutoring mathematics to people. In this period of time, Galileo managed to design a new form of hydrostatic balance.

Scientifically, Galileo will be remembered for invention of the telescope, which allowed astronomers, sailors and other view the heavens and seas, which fed their own theories. He used his own invention to discover the four moons of Jupiter, the mountains and craters of the moon, and sunspots. His work on falling objects led to gravitational studies and mathematical theorems which are on a basic level, physics. Experimentation was used as a means to prove the laws of science along with the mathematical theories. Math, according to Galileo, was the only infallible form of logic. If a mathematical law could be formed from an event, then it was a logical, rational event. His breaking from the Catholic Church, voicing his findings and staying with his convictions broke the traditional way of thinking that the Church was the end all and be all of all things. In the end, he was proven right for most of his beliefs and vindicated for his suppression.

Galileo devised his own telescope, in which he observed the moon and found Venus had phases like the moon, proving it rotated around the sun.

Galileo started to teach little classes on mathematics and physiology. He later published a book called, Little Balance. This book made Galileo well known. The University of Pisa then asked Galilei if he would like to become a professor, Galileo accepted the job quickly. Galileo was very happy in how far he has come. He became very wealthy off this job.

Galileo discovered that anything thrown or fired on Earth, such as a rock, flies along a curved path called a parabola. Galileo also stated the principle of inertia, which became the basis for Newton’s First Law of Motion. He also observed that two objects of different masses, disregarding air resistance, will both accelerate at the same rate. Galileo’s principle of relativity stated that the laws of physics are the same for all observers moving in a straight line at a constant speed. Einstein extended this principle so that it accounted for the constant speed of light.

First and foremost, we can observe the Challenge of Authority being essential to Galileo’s achievements. Without his courage and ability to question established ideas he would not have been capable of fabricating change - his discoveries led to the formulation of western medicine and science. Galileo trusted his own observation more than the observations of the established authority. In the current scientific realm and within the Renaissance paradigm we can see this theory of observation being fundamental to the concepts of experimentation and scientific progress. The same systems Galileo pioneered in the 17th century are being used in our lives every day. If Galileo had not stood up and spoke from his individual consciousness modern medicine as we know it may not have been possible. When he, “wished to show the satellites of Jupiter to the Professors in Florence, they would see neither them nor the telescope” (con’t) but their ignorance did not stop him from following his consciousness and ambition for the truth. That is why the term Father of Science has been coined for Galileo. He is one of the many who challenged authority and past traditions during the renaissance and ultimately helped lead to the development of the paradigm and western civilization. This idea of challenging authority is a major and

Galileo Galilei was born into a world of inventions being originated on every corner. The world was thirsty for new and improved technology. Throughout Galileo’s years he will improve, discovery, and endeavor to become one of the most important scientist of western history. Along the journey he will encounter rough patches with the church, however never capitulate. He will set the basis for science; he was an agile scientist who had a huge impact on the world’s technology improvements and underlying contributions to astronomy, mathematics, physics, and philosophy during the scientific revolution. Galileo was significant to western history due to his discovery of the telescope, which would allow for all future discoveries, forever changing science and the scientific revolution.

Galileo Galilei, an Italian astronomer, believed and proved that the heavens were not as polished as Ptolemaic astronomers assumed, but filled with change and blemishes. Using the telescope, his recent invention, he could see spots on the sun and mountains on the moon, defeating the argument that the heavenly bodies were perfectly spherical. He also discovered four moons of Jupiter. He designed experiments to show that the velocity of an object while falling depends on their height than its weight. He also predicted the law of inertia, which is still used today, which states that something will continue moving unless some force acts upon it. He used that law to offer a better explanation of how moving bodies behave under the influence of the

Have you ever looked to the stars and wondered how we could ever see something so far away? Well we can, greatly in part to a man named Galileo Galilei. Galileo made many contributions to modern science. Probably the most well known of Galileo's contributions to science is the invention of the telescope. Galileo’s life consisted of many important events; there were two main people who helped him do what he did; he made many important inventions and discoveries; and his discoveries are the basis of modern astronomy.

In 1581, Galileo began his studies at the University of Pisa. His father wanted him to be as successful as possible, naturally, but Galileo had other plans. Galileo was no longer interested in being a mastery of medicine. Galileo started to focus on the pendulum. But it wasn't until 1602 when Galileo found out that when the pendulum swings back and forth that it's not depending on the arc of the swing.

Galileo: Astromoner and Physicist is mostly about Galileo's life and work. Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy, on February 15, 1564. When he was seventeen, his father, sent him to study medicine at the University of Pisa. During his time there Galileo learned about ancient Greek theories of science and of the men whose ideas were accepted as fact by the entire educated world. The main focus was how Galileo developed the idea that science needed to be about testing, experimenting, and observing, rather than accepting logical ideas that have been passed down by ancient Greek thinkers long ago. Doak states that, "Galileo, however was not content to just blindly accept everything he was taught. He argued that these Greek thinkers worked with

In summer of 1609, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) pointed his revolutionary astronomical telescope to the heavens under the starry Venetian sky; his greatly important observations unveiled the mysteries of universe and would end up changing the course of scientific thought forever. Galileo lived in an age where there was much status quo, when scientists and philosophers would accept scientific and religious doctrine that had stood for hundreds, if not thousands, of years instead of challenging the accepted knowledge in favor of intellectual progress. Galileo’s scientific methods lead to significant discoveries explaining key scientific laws, such as the

Though he was developing and testing his theories, Galileo was not exposed to mathematics but was intrigued in the subject after attending a geometry lecture. He then began to study mathematics and natural philosophy instead of medicine since right before he earned his degree, the university cut him off due to unpaid funds. Returning to Florence, he lectured at the Florentine academy, where he studied and applied his new interests, and in 1586 he published an essay describing his invention of the hydrostatic balance, when fluid is at rest, which made his name known throughout Italy. With his other interest of philosophy, Galileo studied fine arts and received an instructer position in the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in Florence in 1588 where he met Cigoli, a painter, who applied Galileo’s astronomical observations in his painting. This led Galileo to expand his mentality to be more aesthetic.