Galileo Galilei

We didn’t always know Earth revolves around the sun. Here’s more on the man who made this discovery

- LIZ DE VILLIERS

ONE of the most important roles that scientists must fulfil is to help us better understand the world around us. But sometimes their findings can upset certain people because the new research may contradict those people’s old beliefs. This was the case with Galileo Galilei and his many discoveries. Today, he’s known as the father of modern science, but in his own time, he was persecuted and rejected because of the things he’d discovered about the workings of the universe.

EARLY LIFE

Galilei was born in 1564 in Pisa, Italy. This period in history is called the Renaissance, and it was a time of great change in society. People were moving away from the Dark Ages and discovering new things about the world. The French word “renaissance” means rebirth, and in terms of history, it refers to a period of revival and openness to all kinds of new ideas.

Galileo’s father was a well-known musician, composer and teacher who, when Galileo was eight years old, moved with his family to the city of Florence. Galileo initially wanted to study medicine, but during his time at the University of Pisa, he became interested in mathematics and physics. He quickly realised that many of his scientific observations were contrary to the accepted beliefs of the time. To test his principles, he sought scientific ways to prove them.

GALILEO’S INVENTIONS