Galileo: Beyond What the Eye Can See

Lia Martinez 

Science Essay 4

18 September, 2019

It is often said that ‘the apple doesn't fall far from the tree” which rings true in Galileo’s life because he emulated his father, a man that challenged the status quo of the day. Galileo, who was an intelligent man, was always seeking superior solutions. As a result of his unwillingness to accept things at face value he strived to improve the inventions, theories, and knowledge of the day. The moment he heard rumors of an instrument newly invented by a man in Venice designed to magnify distant objects, he immediately set out to create a better telescope with superior technology. He succeeded by laboring for weeks, gathering information, and working by trial and error until he finally created an advanced telescope worthy enough to show the senators and leaders of Venice. They eagerly climbed the lofty tower, which Galileo called home, and looked through the telescope observing the ships that were a great distance away.  As a reward, he was granted lifetime tenure by the church which doubled his salary and afforded him financial security. Despite having already accomplished other significant enhancements on the telescope, Galileo continued to tweak the invention. His father left in him a legacy that created a desire to challenge and improve upon the world, and so by the year 1609 the telescope was twenty times stronger than the original design. 

The refracting telescope was a magnificent modern marvel. It was a long cylindrical object which was painstakingly constructed by hand. In this long tube lay two of each of the following: lenses, mirrors, and surfaces, each of which had a convex and concave counterpart. The glass gathered light and allowed the user to focus on one specific object far away in a magnified image. The convex lens, which bulges outwards, and the concave mirror, which curves inward, causes light rays to meet. Whereas the concave lens, which is a lens that curves inward, and the convex mirror, which bulges outward, cause light rays to spread apart. By curving the light in these two opposite directions an image could be magnified in a way that caused people to marvel at this magnificent invention. 

Galileo was the first of five children, born to a loving father and mother. His father was a lute musician who taught that mathematics and music are inextricably linked. Since this was not widely accepted at the time, many officials of the day resisted this new music theory. However it enlightened and improved both subjects in various ways. When Galileo was eleven he was sent to a monastery at Vallombrosa for an education. His time there sparked a passion in him which led to his desire to stay and become a monk. His father did not approve of that idea and quickly pulled him out of school, admitting him into medical school. Galileo did not thrive in medical school and left without a degree. However, it was during this time that his desire to pursue mathematics expanded. Once he was back home, he decided to put his passion into good use. He taught mathematics to anyone who would listen, he gave public lectures, and soon enough the word spread and he was offered a professorship position at the University of Pisa. Galileo’s family laid the early foundations for his love of mathematics and with hard work and determination he ultimately paved his own path working both for the church and as a mathematician.

Bibliography 

Christensen, Bonnie. “I, Galileo.” New York, Random House, 2012

Wills, Steven and Susan. “Astronomy: Looking at The Stars.” Minneopolis, The Oliver Press,

Inc. 2001