Galileo a. invented the telescope b. improved the technology of telescopes c. mostly observed space without a telescope
Galileo believed that a. the Earth was the centre of the universe b. the Earth and other planets orbited the Sun c. Neptune was a planet and not a star
Galileo was convicted of a. heresy b. fraud c. theft
Discussion/essay questions
Throughout history, many scientists have been shunned for sharing their observations. Why do you think people struggle to accept new ideas?
Transcript
Galileo Galilei, often simply called “Galileo”, was an Italian scientist. He made historic contributions in the fields of astronomy, physics, and mathematics. He was also an inventor and an artist. Galileo was born in 1564. He began studying math and science when he was in university. One of his major accomplishments was improving the technology of telescopes. He was one of the first people to use a telescope to observe space. Galileo’s studies of the night sky led him to several discoveries, including the moons of Jupiter and the planet Neptune, which he originally believed was a star. Galileo was also an early proponent of heliocentrism, which is the idea that the Earth and other planets orbit the Sun. In fact, he was convicted of heresy by the Catholic church for arguing that the Earth was not the centre of the universe. Galileo died in 1642, but he later became known as the father of modern science.
While most scientists today agree that the universe was created by a Big Bang, some have other theories. Do you believe that the Big Bang theory is the correct explanation? Why or why not?
Transcript
The Big Bang theory is a theory scientists use to explain the creation of the universe. The theory states that all of the matter in the universe began to expand from one single point. This idea was first proposed by astronomer Georges Lemaître in 1927. He received evidence to support his theory when another astronomer named Edwin Hubble observed that galaxies seemed to be moving away from each other. This was an indication that the universe was expanding. Because of this new information, Lemaître concluded that the universe must have once been smaller and denser. According to the theory, the universe began as something known as a singularity, which is an area where matter is infinitely dense. Over 13 billion years ago, this singularity began to expand, and the matter inside it formed atoms that would later form stars and planets. Lemaître’s idea received a lot of criticism, because most scientists at the time believed that the universe had existed forever. However, throughout the 20th century, scientists continued to find proof that Lemaître’s theory was accurate. Today, the Big Bang theory is the most widely accepted explanation for how the universe was created.
