Kosh

Or maybe it's "Nova on Galileo".

Did anybody else catch this on PBS last night? Excellent program about his life and trials. If you missed it, I recommend watching for the next time it's on.

vixstile

I was surprised to find out that the suppression of Galileo wasn't as much-Catholic church vs. Galileo-as it was-the pope settling a personal score. I think Galileo had it coming.

doubtingt

Galileo wasn't attacked by the pope, he was attacked by the church and the pope simply failed to protect him, becuase he was offended by the way he was portrayed.
I thought the program suggested that if not for the relatively liberal, childhood friend that the pope was, Galileo wouldn't of had a chance and would probably have been executed. The church officials were also the ones who exerted their influence on the pope and cast Galileo's book in a light that would enrage the pope.

Ernest Sparks

Did you catch Galileo's slosh theory of tides?

<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/mistake.html" target="_blank">His Big Mistake</a>

He had criticized Kepler for the belief that tides were caused by the moon and the sun.
That was "mysticism" as far as he was concerned. It was the Earth's own motion that made tides, so he thought. It was not yet guessed by anyone that gravity is responsible for the Earth's motion around the Sun, and therefore also causes the raising of tides.

Ernie

DigitalDruid

Yeah I watched it too and really liked it. With all those interesting characters apart from Galileo himself (the Pope, Galileo's daughter, the Inquisitors) this could be a major motion picture. But probably no major movie company would risk annoying the catholics?

His ingenuity was truely remarkable (slowing down motion of balls by using inclined planes so it can be studied).

About Galielo discounting moon as a factor in tides: at that time poeple ascribed all kinds of effects to the moon including madness. I think that's why he thought it was hogwash.

Ronin

Yeah I watched it too and really liked it. With all those interesting characters apart from Galileo himself (the Pope, Galileo's daughter, the Inquisitors) this could be a major motion picture. But probably no major movie company would risk annoying the catholics?

I'm seeing Sean Connery as Galileo, Liv Tyler as his daughter, Mike Palin & co. as the Inquisitors and Sir Anthony Hopkins as the Pope.

Ernest Sparks

I think that catholic scholars have long been extremely ashamed of the condemnation of Galileo, and the Pope's reversal of the decision in more recent times was just a belated effort in setting the record straight.

DigitalDruid

That would be my dream cast too.
And perhaps the Pope can further extend his gesture of reconciliation by lending the Vatican choir & orchestra to provide period music for the movie? Afterall, Galileo had to face the music once; he can sure face it again in the movie.