Look at the stars. Look how they shine for you. Even though these lyrics from the popular Coldplay song were written a few centuries after Galileo’s life, this might have been what he had in mind when discovering a thousand things about the cosmos.
Many of the things we take for granted today were a reason to be amazed when Galileo discovered them. Can you imagine being the first person to realize the planets actually orbit around the sun and not the Earth? Can you imagine how your face would be when seeing that the moon has craters and mountains?
Well, Galileo Galilei, the king of the cosmos, had a very interesting life story and a track of inventions and discoveries that can leave anyone astonished. One of the main things we can learn from Galileo and his legacy is the importance of having a strong critical thinking ability, and how important it is to maintain our capacity for wonder alive!
In the next few paragraphs, you are going to learn more about Galileo, his discoveries, his legacy, and his points of view on life, the cosmos, and innovation. Ready? Here we go!
Galileo Galilei: 9 facts about the man who optimized the telescope!
We’ve all heard his name. We all know at least one thing he said, invented, or improved. We all associate his names with the discovery of constellations and of some new aspects about the universe we weren’t aware of until Galileo’s publications.
But, how much do you really know about Galileo Galilei? Take a look at these 9 interesting facts and let yourself be surprised.
1. Einstein once said that only the work of Galileo can be seen as the true beginning of astronomy and physics.
2. Galileo was the first person to ever point a telescope to the sky, making outstanding observations on the stars and the cosmos.
3. He was the one that confirmed that all planets are moving in orbits around the sun and not the Earth. The church leaders of the time did not take kindly to this news and he got sentenced to house arrest until the end of his days.
4. During the 10 years he spent under home arrest, his visits were extremely restricted. That being said, he received renowned visitors such as the philosopher Thomas Hobbes and the poet John Milton.
5. In the same year in which Galileo published his last book, considered his major masterpiece, he went completely blind.
6. Although some people might think that Galileo was the one who invented the telescope, he actually didn’t. What he did was improving and optimizing an artifact that he did not create from scratch. Who can be credited with the invention of the original telescope is actually Hans Lippershey. Lippershey invented an earlier version of the telescope in 1608 and in the same year, Galileo learned about this new thing and totally improved it.
7. He was the first person to realize the moon is full of craters and mountains, everything by pointing his telescope to the sky. Do you see what kind of things can happen when boosting our kids’ skills? Your children can change the world!
8. Galileo began his studies as a student of medicine. Even though this happened right after he wanted to become a monk, he realized that he wasn’t into medicine but rather felt more attracted to both physics and mathematics, so he focused on these areas. Not so long after that, he left school without getting a degree.
9. When our kids have a fever, we can detect it thanks to Galileo! Why? Because the telescope improvement wasn’t all; he also invented the compass and the thermometer.
Your kids can improve our world. Give them the tools they need!
Just as it happened with Galileo, you have no idea how your kids’ ideas and innovations can change our world. What you do know for sure is that they should receive the right tools for them to be ready to face any challenge and to turn their craziest ideas into applaudable realities.
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