Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
A degreeless son of a court musician, Galileo Galilei was a rebel if there ever was one but his contributions to science are wide-ranging and impressive.
He was another polymath, pioneering several aspects of astronomy, and earning himself the title ‘father of modern science’ (given to him by Einstein). His work included improving the telescope (discovering a handful of astronomical features, such as a couple of Jupiter’s moons, while he was at it), running experiments to show how gravity causes the same acceleration regardless of mass, and defending the heliocentric model of the solar system that was put forward by Copernicus.
Heliocentrism was the outdated model that believed the Earth and planets revolved around the Sun. His advocacy for heliocentricity upset the Catholic church, who declared him guilty of heresy and sentenced him to house arrest, where he remained for the final nine years of his life. Rumour has it that during his trial, Galileo could not resist muttering ‘eppur si muove’ – ‘and yet it moves’ – referring to the Earth moving around the sun. Whether this is true or not, the daring statement sums up his absolute dedication to science, and the controversy paved the way for all astronomers to follow.
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