On this day in 1633, chief inquisitor Father Vincenzo Maculano da Firenzuola, appointed by Pope Urban VIII, began the inquisition of physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei. Galileo, while teaching mathematics at the University of Padua (he left medical school in Pisa after three years’ study to pursue mathematics) was accused and convicted of heresy for his belief that the earth revolves around the sun. Not only did his views violate scripture but they were empirically improbable because in order for the earth to revolve around the sun, in the time required for each cycle, the earth would have to be traveling very fast, yet on many days not even a breeze was felt. How can one hurdle through space without the slightest sense of motion or fierce wind? More than 300 years after Galileo’s sentence of lifetime house arrest, the church overturned his conviction and apologized.
This is an important case because it points to the problem of guilt by appearance, which is anathema to science. This lesson in history applies to today, as there are some holding an inquisition to root out innovation from medicine. Fortunately for us today, there are many more Galileo’s.
A salute and toast to Galileo for his steadfast adherence to truth!
Thanks to the industry leader who sent this to us. But because of today’s inquisition we are unable to attribute it to him, lest he face a life time of house arrest.