"Annenberg Media" "¶" "ANYOBJECTMOVES WITHCONSTANTSPEED" "INA STRAIGHTLINE" "UNLESSACTEDUPON BYANOUTSIDEAGENT." "THAT FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IS THE LAW OF INERTIA." "TODAY, I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT GALILEO." "WHY DO WE CALL ITALIANS OF A CERTAIN PERIOD" "BY THEIR FIRST NAMES," "AS IF THEY WERE OUR GOOD FRIENDS?" "NOT ONLY GALILEO-- DANTE, LEONARDO, RAPHAEL." "IT'S STRANGE." "IN ANY CASE," "TODAY, I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT GALILEO GALILEI." "HERE IS A PICTURE OF GALILEO" "MADE FROM A WOODCUT" "THAT WAS MADE WHILE HE WAS ALIVE." "TW0 VERY IMPORTANT MEN WERE BORN IN 1564" "WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE IN STRATFORD" "AND GALILEO GALILEI IN PISA." "GALILEO FIRST SET OUT TO STUDY MEDICINE" "AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PISA," "BUT HE SOON REALIZED MEDICINE WAS NOT FOR HIM." "WHEN HE LEARNED THERE WAS NO PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS" "AT THE UNIVERSITY," "HE DROPPED OUT OF MEDICAL SCHOOL." "HE TAUGHT HIMSELF MATHEMATICS," "WROTE A FEW PAPERS," "AND BEGAN TO BUILD A SCHOLARLY REPUTATION." "IN THE YEAR 1589," "WITH THE HELP OF A WELL-CONNECTED FRIEND," "HE WAS APPOINTED PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS." "THE UNIVERSITY WAS DOMINATED THEN BY ARISTOTELIAN SCHOLARS" "WHO SAW LITTLE VALUE IN MATHEMATICS." "GALILEO CONSIDERED HIS ARISTOTELIAN COLLEAGUES" "TO BE FOOLS" "AND IMMEDIATELY GOT INTO TROUBLE" "BY BAITING AND RIDICULING THEM." "IT SOON BECAME OBVIOUS" "THAT WHEN HIS CONTRACT WAS UP IN 1592," "HE WOULDN'T BE REAPPOINTED." "SO, WHEN HE WAS OFFERED A POSITION" "AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PADUA," "HE ACCEPTED IT WITHOUT HESITATION." "AT PADUA, HE LECTURED IN EUCLIDIAN GEOMETRY," "PTOLEMAIC ASTRONOMY," "AND ARISTOTELIAN MECHANICS." "HE CONDUCTED HIS NOTED RESEARCH" "ON FALLING BODIES AND INCLINED PLANES." "IN 1610, GALILEO PULLED OFF" "PERHAPS THE GREATEST ACADEMIC SLEIGHT OF HAND" "OF ALL TIME." "A DUTCH LENS GRINDER NAMED HANS LIPPERSHEY" "HAD DISCOVERED A REMARKABLE NEW DEVICE" "THE TELESCOPE." "GALILEO IMMEDIATELY FIGURED OUT" "HOW IT MUST WORK," "CAME UP WITH HIS OWN DESIGN," "AND BUILT A TELESCOPE THAT MAGNIFIED IMAGES" "BY ABOUT NINE TIMES." "THEN HE CALLED TOGETHER THE CITY FATHERS OF VENICE" "FOR A DEMONSTRATION IN THE FAMOUS TOWER" "IN ST." "MARK'S SQUARE." "HE TOLD THEM," ""LOOK AT THE HORIZON THROUGH THIS DEVICE." ""AN APPROACHING SHIP CAN BE SEEN" ""TWO HOURS EARLIER THAN WITHOUT IT." ""FOR A MARITIME POWER LIKE VENICE," "THIS DEVICE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL."" "GALILEO DIDN'T CLAIM HE INVENTED THE TELESCOPE," "BUT HE DIDN'T BOTHER TO SAY HE HADN'T." "IMPRESSED, THE CITY FATHERS GAVE GALILEO" "A LIFETIME POSITION AT A HANDSOME SALARY." "AND WITHIN TWO MONTHS," "MODELS OF GALILEO'S TELESCOPE WERE BEING SOLD BY VENDORS" "ON THE STREETS OF VENICE AS CHILDREN'S TOYS." "GALILEO HAD MADE HIMSELF FINANCIALLY SECURE FOR LIFE" "BY SELLING THE CITY FATHERS A CHILD'S TOY." "GALILEO HAD MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IN MIND" "FOR THE TELESCOPE." "HE BUILT LARGER, MORE POWERFUL TELESCOPES," "INCLUDING ONE THAT WOULD MAGNIFY IMAGES ABOUT 30 TIMES." "TODAY, TWO OF THEM ARE ON DISPLAY" "IN FLORENCE'S MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE." "WITH THESE TELESCOPES," "GALILEO LOOKED AT THE SKY" "AND MADE SOME REMARKABLE DISCOVERIES" "THE MOONS OF JUPITER," "WHICH, EVEN TODAY, ARE CALLED THE GALILEAN SATELLITES..." "MOUNTAINS ON THE MOON..." "THE PHASES OF VENUS..." "AND SPOTS ON THE FACE OF THE SUN." "EVEN NOW THAT WE'VE WALKED ON THE MOON," "GALILEO'S SKETCHES REVEAL" "HIS VIEWS WERE AMAZINGLY ACCURATE." "IN TIME, GALILEO'S ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES," "ALONG WITH THE IDEAS OF COPERNICUS," "WOULD INTELLECTUALLY SHATTER THE SERENITY OF THE HEAVENS." "ANYONE WHO DARED LOOK THROUGH GALILEO'S TELESCOPE" "SAW THE BEGINNING OF THE END" "FOR THE WORLD VIEWS OF ARISTOTLE AND PTOLEMY" "AND THE BEGINNING OF A GREAT DEAL OF TROUBLE" "FOR GALILEO GALILEI." "BY THE EARLY 17th CENTURY," "EUROPE HAD SEEN THE RENAISSANCE," "THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION," "AND THE CATHOLIC COUNTER REFORMATION." "SWEEPING CHANGES SHOOK EVERY PART OF THE MEDIEVAL SYSTEM" "RELIGION, ART, LITERATURE," "MUSIC, MATHEMATICS, AND THE SCIENCES," "ESPECIALLY IN ASTRONOMY." "BEFORE THE RENAISSANCE," "ARISTOTELIAN MECHANICS" "AND PTOLEMY'S DESIGN OF THE HEAVENLY SPHERES" "WERE THE LOGICAL, ACCEPTED, AND UNCHALLENGED" "NATURAL ORDER OF THE UNIVERSE." "AND SO IT WAS," "UNTIL A POLISH MONK LOOKED UPWARD" "AND SAW THINGS DIFFERENTLY." "IN OPPOSITION TO THE PTOLEMAIC VIEW," "COPERNICUS SAW THE EARTH AS JUST ANOTHER PLANET" "CIRCLING THE LARGER, GRANDER SUN." "WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH," "SOME SAW THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM AS A THREAT." "IT SEEMED, LIKE THE PROTESTANT HERESY ITSELF," "TO CHALLENGE THE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OF THE VATICAN." "NONETHELESS, IT TOOK THE CHURCH 75 YEARS" "TO MAKE HER DISPLEASURE FULLY KNOWN." "AND IN THE INTERIM," "THE CHURCH HAD A PROBLEM" "MUCH CLOSER TO HOME THAN THE SUN." "CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS WERE LOCKED IN A WAR" "FOR THE VERY SOUL OF EUROPE." "COPERNICUS, LIKE MARTIN LUTHER," "CHALLENGED THE CHURCH'S INTERPRETATION" "OF HOLY SCRIPTURE." "BUT THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM" "ALSO SEEMED TO DEFY ELEMENTARY COMMON SENSE." "HEAVY OBJECTS NATURALLY FELL TOWARD THE EARTH'S CENTER" "BECAUSE THAT WAS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE." "IF THE EARTH'S SPINNING AND HURTLING THROUGH SPACE," "WHY DOESN'T EVERYTHING FLY OFF?" "AND IF THE EARTH REALLY IS SPINNING," "WHY SHOULD AN OBJECT DROPPED FROM A TOWER" "LAND DIRECTLY BELOW?" "WHY DOESN'T IT LAND IN THE NEXT CITY-STATE" "OR AT LEAST SOME DISTANCE AWAY?" "300 YEARS AGO," "THOSE WERE LOGICAL, INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS," "AND GALILEO GALILEI SET OUT TO FIND THE ANSWERS." "GALILEO WAS, DESPITE HIS INDEPENDENT NATURE," "A VERY POPULAR FIGURE," "GENERALLY RESPECTED AND ADMIRED." "AND TO THE CHURCH," "HIS GOD-GIVEN INTELLIGENCE MADE HIM A FAVORITE SON." "NO DOUBT, GALILEO ENJOYED THE ATTENTION." "HIS HUNGER FOR FAME WAS ENORMOUS." "BUT HIS THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE AND FOR THE TRUTH" "WAS EVEN GREATER." "EARLY IN HIS CAREER," "WHILE A PROFESSOR AT PADUA," "GALILEO DID WELL FOR HIMSELF AS AN ACADEMIC ENTREPRENEUR." "AMONG OTHER THINGS," "HE TUTORED ROYAL PRINCELINGS" "IN SUBJECTS SUCH AS MAGNETISM AND MATHEMATICS." "IN THE LONG RUN," "HIS USE OF THE TELESCOPE WAS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT." "HIS FIRST BOOK, THESTARRYMESSENGER," "REVEALED HIS REMARKABLE OBSERVATIONS." "THE PUBLICATION OF THESTARRYMESSENGER" "ELEVATED GALILEO TO A POSITION OF REKNOWN" "THROUGHOUT EUROPE." "YET, IN CERTAIN CIRCLES," "HIS DISCOVERIES WERE NOT ALTOGETHER WELCOME." "THROUGH HIS TELESCOPE," "GALILEO HAD SEEN SOMETHING UNIMAGINED" "OR AT LEAST UNSPOKEN-- BY THE FOLLOWERS OF PTOLEMY." "JUPITER'S MOONS SEEMED TO PROVE" "THE EARTH WASN'T THE CENTER OF ALL HEAVENLY MOTION." "DID HE HAVE WITHIN HIS SIGHTS" "THE PROOF THAT COPERNICUS HAD BEEN CORRECT?" "CONTRARY TO BOTH ARISTOTLE AND CHURCH DOCTRINE," "WAS THE EARTH MERELY ANOTHER PLANET" "ORBITING AROUND THE SUN?" "IF THAT WERE TRUE," "THE QUESTION REMAINED," "WHY IN THE WORLD DOESN'T EVERYTHING SPIN OFF?" "ARISTOTLE'S ANCIENT VIEW WAS THAT ALL THINGS," "BY THEIR NATURE," "HAVE A RIGHTFUL HOME TO WHICH THEY WANT TO RETURN." "HIS IDEAS OF ABSOLUTE REST AND ABSOLUTE MOTION" "SEEMED CONFIRMED BY COMMON SENSE." "AND BASED ON THE COMMON EXPERIENCES" "OF EVERYDAY LIFE," "HOW COULD ANYONE TAKE THE IDEA" "OF THE EARTH'S HURTLING THROUGH SPACE SERIOUSLY?" "IT WAS ONE THING FOR GALILEO TO CRITICIZE" "THE PREVAILING ARISTOTELIAN POINT OF VIEW," "BUT QUITE ANOTHER TO SHOW HOW THINGS WORKED" "IN THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM OF PLANETARY MOTION." "EVEN BEFORE THE TELESCOPE'S INVENTION," "GALILEO HAD PREPARED HIMSELF TO DO EXACTLY THAT." "TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR HIS LAW OF FALLING BODIES," "HE HAD PAINSTAKINGLY OBSERVED AND TIMED" "BALLS ROLLING ALONG INCLINED PLANES." "THESE EXPERIMENTS LED HIM TO ANOTHER PROFOUND IDEA" "THAT WOULD BE KNOWN AS THE LAW OF INERTIA." "GALILEO REALIZED THAT A BALL," "AFTER ROLLING DOWN ONE INCLINED PLANE," "WOULD ROLL UP ANOTHER" "UNTIL IT REGAINED ITS ORIGINAL HEIGHT," "NO MATTER THE STEEPNESS OF THE SECOND PLANE." "IF THE SECOND PLANE'S INCLINE WAS SHALLOWER," "THE BALL WOULD ROLL FARTHER ALONG," "NOT STOPPING UNTIL IT WAS AS FAR ABOVE THE HORIZONTAL" "AS WHEN IT STARTED." "THE MORE NEARLY THE SECOND PLANE WAS HORIZONTAL," "THE FARTHER THE BALL WOULD ROLL." "THEREFORE, ON A PERFECTLY HORIZONTAL PLANE" "WITH A SMOOTH SURFACE," "A BALL WOULD NEVER COME TO REST." "IT WOULD KEEP ROLLING FOREVER." "THIS WAS THE CRUCIAL REALIZATION GALILEO NEEDED" "TO EXPLAIN WHY EVERYTHING, INCLUDING HIS CRITICS," "COULD KEEP UP WITH THE SPINNING SURFACE OF THE EARTH." "A BODY IN HORIZONTAL MOTION" "TENDS TO KEEP MOVING THAT WAY FOREVER." "EVERYTHING ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE" "IS IN HORIZONTAL MOTION" "AT EXACTLY THE SAME SPEED AS THE EARTH'S SURFACE." "THERE'S NO FRICTION TO AFFECT A BODY'S MOTION" "BECAUSE EVERYTHING MOVES TOGETHER." "WITH THIS REMARKABLE CONCEPT," "GALILEO OVERTURNED THE ANCIENT ARISTOTELIAN DOGMA" "THAT IT'S NATURAL FOR ALL BODIES TO COME TO REST." "ALTHOUGH GALILEO'S CONCEPT WAS BRILLIANT," "IT WASN'T ENTIRELY ACCURATE." "STILL INFLUENCED BY" "THE PLATONIC IDEAL OF CIRCULAR MOTION," "GALILEO THOUGHT A BODY IN MOTION" "WOULD CONTINUE FOREVER," "BUT ONLY IN THE HORIZONTAL DIRECTION," "ROUND AND ROUND," "FOLLOWING THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH." "A GENERATION LATER," "RENE DESCARTES STRAIGHTENED EVERYTHING OUT," "GIVING THE LAW OF INERTIA ITS FINAL SHAPE." "OBJECTS IN MOTION DON'T TEND, BY THEMSELVES," "TO COME TO REST." "THEY TEND TO CONTINUE AS THEY ARE" "UNTIL SOMETHING INTERFERES." "THAT'S EASIER TO SEE NOW THAN IN GALILEO'S DAY." "TODAY, FEW WOULD DISAGREE" "THAT THE EARTH HURTLES AROUND THE SUN" "THAT MOVES AROUND ONE CORNER OF A GALAXY" "THAT MOVES ALONE IN A CLUSTER OF GALAXIES," "ALL STREAKING THROUGH" "THE UNIMAGINABLE VASTNESS OF THE UNIVERSE." "HOW DOES REST FIT INTO THIS GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS?" "IT DOESN'T." "NOTHING IN THE UNIVERSE COMES TO REST." "INSTEAD..." "ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AS IT IS" "IN A STRAIGHT LINE AT A CONSTANT SPEED" "UNTIL SOMETHING INTERFERES WITH IT." "THAT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF INERTIA." "IT'S BOTH AS SIMPLE AND AS PROFOUND" "AS ANY IDEA THAT'S EVER BEEN PONDERED." "OBVIOUSLY, OBJECTS CAN SEEM TO BE AT REST," "BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE" "THEY'RE IN THE SAME STATE OF MOTION AS THE VIEWER." "WHETHER AN OBJECT'S AT REST OR IN MOTION" "DEPENDS COMPLETELY ON VIEWPOINT" "ON WHETHER THE OBSERVER'S MOVING AT THE SAME SPEED." "ABSOLUTE REST DOES NOT EXIST." "ABSOLUTE MOTION DOES NOT EXIST." "EVEN HURTLING THROUGH SPACE AT AN INCREDIBLE SPEED," "RELATIVE TO THE MOON OR THE SUN," "THE NATURAL TENDENCY OF ANY OBJECT" "IS TO RETAIN WHATEVER MOTION IT HAS." "IN GALILEO'S DAY," "THAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT CONCEPT TO ACCEPT." "TO AN ARISTOTELIAN," "THE MOTION OF A CART REQUIRED AND HAD" "A LOGICAL EXPLANATION." "UNLESS SOMETHING PUSHED OR PULLED IT," "IT WOULDN'T MOVE." "THEREFORE, ITS NATURAL STATE WAS THAT OF REST." "BUT TO THE MODERN OBSERVER," "A VEHICLE IN MOTION NEEDS NO EXPLANATION." "THIS COASTING OBJECT WILL KEEP MOVING" "UNTIL THE BRAKES, OR SOMETHING ELSE," "BRINGS IT TO A STATE OF REST." "WHAT ABOUT AN OBJECT THAT'S NOT MOVING HORIZONTALLY" "ALONG WITH THE EARTH'S SURFACE?" "WHAT ABOUT A PROJECTILE LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR" "OR A BALL DROPPED FROM A TOWER?" "SHOULDN'T THE SPINNING EARTH LEAVE THE FALLING BALL BEHIND?" "GALILEO SAID IT SHOULDN'T." "HE SAID THE BALL SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE HORIZONTALLY" "WITH THE EARTH," "EVEN AS IT FALLS VERTICALLY TOWARD ITS SURFACE." "IN THE RENAISSANCE," "THIS CONCEPT WAS HARD TO GRASP," "SO GALILEO OFFERED HIS CONTEMPORARIES AN ANALOGY." "HE ASKED PEOPLE TO PICTURE A BALL" "FALLING FROM THE MAST OF A MOVING SHIP." "TO A SAILOR ON THE DECK," "THE MAST IS STANDING STILL." "HE'D EXPECT THE BALL TO FALL STRAIGHT DOWN." "BUT ANYONE ON SHORE WOULD SEE THE SHIP" "AND THE MAST IN MOTION." "AN ARISTOTELIAN OBSERVER WOULD HAVE NO DOUBT" "ABOUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN." "THE BALL SHOULD FALL TOWARDS THE EARTH'S CENTER" "WHILE THE SHIP SAILS OUT FROM UNDER IT." "THAT SAILOR WOULD SEE THE BALL HURTLE TOWARD THE SHIP'S REAR," "RATHER THAN FALL TO THE FOOT OF THE MAST." "THE EXPERIMENT WAS PROBABLY NEVER PERFORMED DURING GALILEO'S LIFE." "THE RESULTS ARE PRECISELY WHAT HE PREDICTED." "THE BALL FALLS STRAIGHT DOWN ALONG THE MAST" "BECAUSE BOTH OBJECTS," "BALL AND SAILBOAT," "SHARE THE SAME INITIAL MOTION." "IF THEY DON'T SHARE THE SAME INITIAL MOTION," "THEN THE RESULT IS" "JUST AS THE ARISTOTELIANS WOULD HAVE EXPECTED." "WHEN DROPPED FROM THE MOVING MAST," "THE BALL FALLS VERTICALLY" "WHILE MOVING HORIZONTALLY WITH THE BOAT." "TOGETHER, THESE MOTIONS FORM A CURVED PATH" "A PARABOLA." "GALILEO REALIZED THAT THESE SAME PRINCIPLES" "WOULD CAUSE THE MOTION OF ANY PROJECTILE" "TO FOLLOW A PARABOLIC CURVE" "AT SEA OR ON LAND." "A BALL DROPPED ANYWHERE ON EARTH" "BEHAVES THE SAME." "HERE, SHARING THE HORIZONTAL MOTION OF THE PLANET," "IT FALLS STRAIGHT DOWNWARD," "LANDING AT THE BASE OF THE TOWER." "IN THESE TERMS," "GALILEO SAW AND PROVED SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE SUN." "IN 1616, GALILEO WAS SUMMONED TO ROME." "HE WAS TOLD TO NEITHER HOLD NOR DEFEND" "THIS IDEA OF THE EARTH MOVING AROUND A STATIONARY SUN." "KNOWING THAT THE CHURCH" "OFFICIALLY OBJECTED TO THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM," "HE WAITED FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT" "TO CONVINCE THEM OF THE ERROR OF THEIR ARISTOTELIAN WAYS." "IN 1623, GALILEO THOUGHT THAT THE MOMENT HAD ARRIVED." "HIS FRIEND AND PROTECTOR," "THE BRILLIANT CARDINAL MAFFEO BARBERINI" "BECAME POPE URBAN VIII." "TO ENHANCE HIS CASE," "GALILEO WROTE A BOOK" "A DIALOGUE IN WHICH CHARACTERS DEBATED" "THE ARISTOTELIAN AND COPERNICAN SYSTEMS." "AS AN AUTHOR," "GALILEO WAS A CLEVER POLITICIAN." "THE ARISTOTELIAN CHARACTER ARGUED SKILLFULLY" "AND WAS DECLARED THE WINNER," "A PLOY WHICH WAS TO BE GALILEO'S DEFENSE" "AGAINST TEACHING THE COPERNICAN VIEW." "HOWEVER, AS ANY READER COULD EASILY GATHER," "THE COPERNICAN ARGUMENTS WERE MUCH MORE SOLID." "AND PERHAPS WORST OF ALL," "SINCE THOSE ARGUMENTS WERE WRITTEN IN ITALIAN" "RATHER THAN LATIN," "COMMON ITALIANS COULD READILY UNDERSTAND THEM." "AND AS FAR AS THE CHURCH WAS CONCERNED," "GALILEO MADE A FEW MORE ERRORS OF JUDGMENT." "HIS FICTIONAL DEFENDER OF ARISTOTLE," "WHO SPOUTED THE SAME ARGUMENTS THE POPE HAD BEEN MAKING," "HAPPENED TO BE NAMED SEMPLICIONE" "THE SIMPLETON." "AND PERHAPS MOST DAMNING OF ALL," "GALILEO'S NEW BOOK CHALLENGED THE CHURCH" "AT THE VERY TIME" "WHEN IT WAS BEING CHALLENGED FROM ALL SIDES." "GALILEO WAS PUT ON TRIAL IN 1634." "HIS FAME AND PRESTIGE MADE IT UNTHINKABLE" "THE MEANING THAT MUST BE GIVEN TO FREEDOM OF RESEARCH."" "BUT AT THE TIME," "EVEN FOR A FAMOUS SCIENTIST WITH AN UNPARDONABLE EGO," "GALILEO MADE PUBLHIS REAL REPUTATIONNOT IDIDERER PUNISHMENT ENOUGH." "BY MEANS OF HIS GREAT DISCOVERIES WITH THE TELESCOPE." "BEFORE THAT, HE WAS KNOWN TO A FEW EXPERTS." "AFTERWARDS, HE WAS FAMOUS THROUGHOUT EUROPE." "HE KNEW THE CHURCH WAS MAKING A TERRIBLE MISTAKE" "IN TURNING ITS BACK ON COPERNICUS." "BUT THE CHURCH, UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE REFORMATION," "HARDENED ITS POSITION" "ON THE LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURES." "GALILEO WAS NAIVE AND ARROGANT." "HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE THE CHURCH CHANGE ITS MIND" "BY MEANS OF LOGICAL SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTS." "THAT MIGHT HAVE WORKED EARLIER," "WHEN THE CHURCH WAS MORE INTELLECTUALLY FLEXIBLE," "BUT IN THE 17th CENTURY, IT WAS HOPELESS." "GALILEO DID SOMETHING EVEN WORSE." "INSTEAD OF WRITING IN LATIN," "WHICH A FEW SCHOLARS WOULD UNDERSTAND," "HE WROTE IN ITALIAN, WHICH ANYBODY COULD UNDERSTAND." "THAT WAS A CHALLENGE THE CHURCH COULDN'T IGNORE." "AND SO, IN 1634, HE WAS TRIED." "IN SPITE OF RECANTING PUBLICLY HIS COPERNICAN VIEWS," "HE WAS MADE TO SPEND HIS LAST EIGHT YEARS" "UNDER HOUSE ARREST AT HIS ESTATE" "AT ARCETRI, NEAR FLORENCE." "WHEN HE DIED," "HIS BODY WAS BURIED IN A CATHEDRAL" "IN THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS IN FLORENCE." "MOST OF HIS BODY WAS BURIED THERE." "I LIKE TO THINK GALILEO WAS DEFIANT TO THE END." "ONE OF HIS FINGERS IS DISPLAYED" "IN THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE." "HIDDENWITHIN THELAWOF INERTIA" "ISTHEFACTTHAT ALLMOTIONIS RELATIVE." "WHETHER A BODY IS IN MOTION ORATREST" "DEPENDSSTRICTLYON" "THEPOINTOF VIEW OFTHEOBSERVER." 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