Galileo Research Paper

Galileo's discoveries were, to a great extent, a turning point in astronomy and science. His development with the telescope helped further the understanding of the universe, and his investigation of the laws of motion provided fundamental contributions to science. However, due to the power of the Catholic church, his impact on science did not happen immediately. Born in Pisa, Galileo was a true renaissance man, excelling at many different endeavours. He was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, physicist and astronomer, and is credited for laying the foundations of modern science. Galileo's experiments of motion had long-lasting implications for the study of physics that influenced scientists such as Isaac Newton. His findings with the telescope

Galileo observed a swinging lamp in the Cathedral of Pisa, which led him to discover the isochronism of a pendulum. This theory was utilised in the construction of the pendulum clock. Accurate time-keeping was virtually non-existent in Galileo's time, and this invention was to be something of great importance and progress. However, Galileo himself failed to complete this construction. In 1657 Christen Huygens of the Netherlands completed a pendulum clock, with a larger pendulum mechanism for increased accuracy. Huygens's clock was more precise than any other clock at the time, and the pendulum clock was perfected over the years. Up until the early 20th century, pendulum clocks were the most precise clocks available. Galileo had assumed that the period of the pendulum is constant. However, it is now known that the period of the pendulum will only remain constant if the pendulum's angle is no larger than 20 degrees, and even then it is not completely accurate. Galileo can be credited for this discovery and these inventions, although his theory of the pendulum has now been proven to be

An acquaintance of Galileo, Pope Urban VIII, met him on papal visits on six occasions. This led Galileo to believe that he could publish his works and beliefs of the heliocentric theory without conviction of the Catholic church, if he proposed it as a mathematical hypothesis. Galileo wrote his book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, in 1630, and it appeared in Florence in 1632. However, Galileo had used the Pope's favourite argument for the person who had been ridiculed throughout the entirety of the dialogue, named Simplicio, or ‘fool’. The book was found to satirical and one-sided instead of hypothetical. In 1633 he was summoned to Rome by the Inquisition and investigated. Found guilty of heresy, Galileo was convicted of life imprisonment. However, his trial was carried out with some sympathy, and was amounted to house arrest rather than imprisonment. It was over a hundred years later when his book was unbanned, and it was not until 1992 when the Church made official statements of regret for how Galileo had been treated. Had Galileo been able to publish his book and freely share his theory, substantial knowledge and understanding of the Universe could have been bestowed upon many people in his lifetime. Whether Galileo is at fault or not for his bold actions and conviction of the church, his discoveries and progress was