Galileo

Galileo Galilei is one of the most influential and controversial scientists of all time. Galileo was born on February 15, 1564 and died on January 8, 1642. He was born in Pisa, Italy. He later moved to Florence when he was a young child. As a young adult, he was going to become a priest, but later he decided to study medicine in the University of Pisa, but never completed his degree. He eventually studied mathematics with Ostilio Ricci and Christopher Clavius and began a correspondence with Guildobaldo del Monte. He applied and was turned down for a position in the Court of Bologna, but eventually became the chair of mathematics in Pisa. He married Marina Gamba and had three kids Virginia, Livia, and Vincenzo. Both of his daughters would eventually become nuns. Galileo made many advances in science, math and philosophy. Galileo was able to improve the magnification of the telescope. He used this to see the celestial bodies better than ever before. Galileo discovered Saturn and found that Venus went through phases just like the moon did. He disproved the common belief that the heavens were perfect when he figured out that the moon had mountains on it. He theorized that the Earth could not be the center of the universe because Jupiter's moons orbited Jupiter and not Earth. He theorized that the earth revolved around the sun. He was also the first to believe that sun spots are actually on the sun and are not other celestial bodies. He also studied comets, the Milky Way and is believed to have known about the existence of Neptune. He also theorized that tides were created due to Earth’s rotation. Galileo was also one of the first ‘experimental’ scientists. He experimented with rocks by dropping stones of different weight off the leaning Tower of Pisa. He proved that heavier objects don’t fall in a speed proportional to their weight. This proved some of Aristotle’s theories false. He also proved that pendulums speeds were based on weight. He theorized a pendulum