|
Continuing
Galileo's plan we are
building museum grade clones of both of
Galileo's existing
Telescopes. We are making them as
authentic as possible so that the public do
not feel they are being duped again with
just another almost replica. |
|
IMSS 2428
Click on the picture to
enlarge the image |
We recommend that everyone consider the value of joining
the major museums who already have our replicas and
help Galileo spread the word of how science
really works.
We also are providing often neglected accessories
and half models of his telescopes to demonstrate in new ways the details
of their internal construction.
We are
making available some additional beautifully
finished instruments that Galileo plus was working on such a
an inclined plane, a
sector/compass and last but not
least developed by Kepler etal a
brachistochronous .,
|
For quotes e-mail us at Galileo@SciTechAntiques.com
or call us at
781 245 2897
|
|
IMSS 2427
Click on the picture to enlarge the image
click here to visit our site
for more details |
Galileo
in 1610, faced with criticism of his
discoveries, decided to demonstrate the truth about
his observations by making more instruments and
providing them to his peers and sponsors as teaching tools
(ref. 17) . We are continuing his example
today as a
positive way to convey the value of the
discoveries of science and to highlight the
institution of science as a means of revealing the
truths about our world
through the Galileo experience. Our
replicas of Galileo’s telescopes are beautiful,
hand made works of art. We believe them to be a credit to
Galileo for they are precise, museum grade instruments. We also offer cutaway
models to demonstrate the principals of the optics and
the very unusual interior construction of the
telescopes. We encourage museums, planetariums,
serious collectors and those who so kindly donate
instruments of this quality to their favorite
museums and teaching institutions to contact us about acquiring them. For
further information please e-mail or phone us at:
|
Galileo@SciTechAntiques.com
or
call us at 781 245 2897 for details.
|
|
|
Below an
extraordinary set of photos showing the world's most
exact and complete replicas of the two existing Galilean
Telescope at IMSS mounted together on a working
modern refractor. On the left are the originals
at IMSS in an older photo.
Again we are S
Jim & Rhoda Morris
of
SciTechAntiques.com
at
Galileo@SciTechAntiques.com
or
781
245 2897
|
Above
the very old display that has not been used
in years.
Above is the displayed
case with the telescope.
IMSS is revising display. |
Rhoda and I
can not thank the staff of the
INSTITUTE E MUSEO DI
STORIA DELLA SCIENZA
Florence Italy enough for their help on our
visits to gather data on Galileo Telescope.
Most of us cannot appreciate enough the
hard work and dedication of the museum
staff behind the scenes that preserve and
prepare for display those precious things
that demonstrate so well the positive
attributes of the scientific community.
This is a beautiful Museum for art lovers
and scientist alike. The Instrument are
truly works of art which also have had a
major influence on our quality of life.
Objective end. The telescopes were mounted
on a modern refractor for comparing the
images and illustrating the mechanical
differences. |
Eyepiece end of our replicas |
|
This web site is large with many
pictures and discussions.
It contains several major topics.
1,
The construction details of our
replicas. The details of the originals at IMSS Florence Italy .
2, It includes what one
really sees looking through
Galileo's telescope, the reason Galileo
chose a negative lens for his eyepieces,
how people understood how things in
nature worked in 1600 and compared to
today?
3,
One of our goals has been
the development of a
clearer understanding of Galileo as a
technologist as viewed by two modern day
professional technologist a
comparison of the stark business of science
then and today.
4,Why these telescopes are
so important as teaching tools in
today's environment and why we have
worked so hard to make them as close to
the originals as possible.
Comments are welcome
Galileo@scitechantiques.com |
A
abstract
We have replicated, with great care, Galileo's two
internationally famous
Telescopes.
We based our replicas on data we measured from
the
two originals which are attributed to Galileo and are on display at
IMSS in Florence Italy. Our replica's of
INV # 2428.
are complete with their gilded leather
covering even duplicating their
very unusual thin-stave internal
construction, something that has not been done
before. We made five 2428 telescopes,
three instrument
for IMSS,
the museum that has the originals. With one of
these being scheduled to be put
on
display
at
the
Patti Palace Florence February
2008.
Two are split in half showing the internal construction
and will be part of the display containing the
original. We have made another that is on display at the
Griffith Observatory (see photo below)
We also constructed
three
INV#2427
The
equally perhaps most interesting laboratory type telescope.
One for the Adler Planetarium another President
L. B. Johnson library. The original is a very rare and valuable telescope
because seldom are the developing instruments
kept. They are crude tattered and torn often
modified over and over again for various
experiments and after having served their
purpose are usually cast in the junk heap. So we
are particularly favored to have a prime example
of one to replicate. We can also replicated a
typical replication of
Galileo's
micrometer
for measuring the paths of the moon's of
Jupiter, the relationship of shape and power of various eyepiece lenses
and the distance of Jupiter's moons from
the planet. The telescope has a split wood tube covered with paper painted and reinforced with
wire reproducing
each part of the instruments to be
as close as possible to the originals. Each
telescope was assembled by hand as they were in
Galileo's day.
Our dimensional accuracy has been kept to
within a few percent in all cases and in some
instance's to fractions of a millimeter of
the originals. We also chose not to antique
them but to show them as they would have
looked when new.
Because our replicas are accurately
reproduced they are particularly useful as research, teaching,
and display tools. One can see, feel, and
operate them as Galileo saw, felt and operated them.
This tactile experience high lights more accurately their virtues and their faults giving a
more mature insight into 1609 telescope making and
operation that Galileo, his associates and customers
experienced. It also demonstrates Galileo's role as
both a scientist and entrepreneur and how
little the business of science has changed in
over 400 years.
The telescopes are high museum grade replicas and very rare. The
leather covered telescope, the replica of IMSS
inv #2428, has over 100 pieces and is
embossed with over 400 gilding die strikes. It has very unusual construction features both inside and
out, with an optical power of 21. The replica
of IMSS inv. 2427 represents a construction style
commonly used in research / field grade telescopes for that time period. It has nearer 17 pieces and a power
of 14. The pair complement each other, one a
presentation piece designed for people of power and
influence ,the other a field type instrument for customer or colleague.
Achieving this high level of accuracy in the reproduction of
these telescopes was through the patience and very professional help of the staff at IMSS in
Florence Italy, the staff of the Griffith
Observatory, and the staff of Adler Planetarium with
their interesting replicas made by Cipriani. They
made it possible for us to make measurements and
make high resolution photos of the
originals and some Cipriani replica telescopes. They
also shared their considerable experience of these instruments
with us.
We found It was absolutely essential to make
our own measurements of the original having found a number of
important differences in the data for dimensions and materials
in the published literature and
some exiting
replicas. We made a concerted
effort in checking and cross checking our data in resolving these differences. It is important to note
in our comparison that we distinguished data
between Galileo type telescopes and those reporting
to be Galilean replicas. For those instances where
there was no data such as the eyepiece
holder in IMSS 2528 we made and noted our best guess. based on our
technical experience
which is considerable.
Last but not least In the virtually all cases it is possible to make simple modification to our replica
telescope if necessary to accommodate any new and more reliable information if it becomes
available.
The bottom line is that our replicas are
the most accurate and finest made to date and will
hopefully serve as standards for other replication in the
future.
From our technical point
of view researching and building a number of
Galileo instruments we saw Galileo and his
telescopes as remarkable and timeless examples of
what the business of science is all about.
Galileo and his instruments is a first rate
case study of science, technology and its support.
There is much
to learn for our future
from his story and his
instruments but we first have to
deSobelize our selves. Below is an outline and
some simple, at times
stretched, examples of
Galileo practicing
technology as seen from fellow technologist
point to view.
One will find some gross
faults
(most
Jim's) in our grammar our spelling on this
web site we
apologize for them. Our choice of examples and
our reason for making them we believe are
solid, We can only hope that you the
reader gets at least an inkling of how
important the case
study of Galileo and the
business of science is. That it
helps us understand what basic research is all
about, how important it is and that it will
encourage some to join the effort of bringing
the Galilean Syndrome
under control so our
scientist can bring us to fuller understanding
of our selves, the universe we live in and
depend upon.
Most scientists we hope will recognized
themselves in many ways as the Galileo's of today.
We encourage those
who have been taking a back seat to come forward and
help.
TLM
We have made five of the leather telescopes and
three of the wood and paper covered on one
of each of these telescope for
our collection
They
have been well received
along
with our perception of the Galilean
Syndrome by magazines,
TV programs
and talks at Harvard Observatory and Bunker Hill
College
See
the photos below.
The date that this page has been
last edited
05/08/2008
Click
picture to enlarge it
Details of
Galileo's 2428 telescope original
and its replica made for the IMSS,
Institute and Museum of the History of Science
Florence Italy where the originals are kept and
on display, The Griffith
Observatory in California both are
covered in great detail
in this website. Many details
covered are relevant to the 2427 as well.
Click Here
for
Galileo's 2427 telescope original and replica
made for Adler Planetarium Chicago ILL. Its covered in great
detail on its web site
Click Here
Dimensional errors in the
literature of Galileo's telescopes
required us to go to Florence Italy and make
measurements of the original.
Click Here A
more detailed analysis for errors in the
literature especially in the optics and
what one really see's when looking through
Galileo's telescope is demonstrated and
discussed.
Click Here for
a more concise description of these two
telescopes |
Below What Galileo's Telescopes Most
Likely Looked Like When They Were New!
There Are No
Words Powerful Enough To Express
The Importance Of Basic
Scientific Research
|
Click on the telescope to enlarge it then
click on the image again to in large it to
2469x277 pixels
Click
on the hyperlink to see the original
IMSS INV
#2428
Stay on this site
to look at the detail of replicating this telescope
IMSS # 2428 |
Click on the telescope to in large it then
click on the image again to in large it
to 2558x147pixels
Click on the hyperlink to
see the original
IMSS INV
#2427
Click Here
to
go to our web site covering this telescope IMSS
# 2427. |
Below
are some photos of our telescopes, the people
they have met and the places they have visited.
|
This
telescope is hand made and based on
data we measured from the original at
IMSS Florance Italy. It has over 100
pieces. It is covered with leather which
is embossed with pure Gold leaf
using over 20 dies, faithfully following
the impressions of the original, with 400 individual
gilding die strikes. It is truly a
striking work of art as well as a
tactile time capsule giving one a
feeling of awe while handling
it. It is a superb teaching
tool.. The telescope is so similar in every
detail to the original that it's like
stepping into a time machine and
journeying back into the past. We
even felt a little nervous while filming
a church steeple scene through our
telescope for the TV Discovery Channel
wondering whether an official from the
church might take an overt
interest in us and our telescope!
During our research and fabrication,
which took nearly a year,
Galileo's guiding sprit always
seemed to be with us. For those who care,
he was very good company, handy around
the shop but had a mischievous sprit as
one might guess from the twinkle
in his eye. |
Last
Revised
05/08/2008 05:45:04 PM
EST Above a
direct comparison of our replica of IMSS 2428
with the original at Florence Italy
Below a photo history
of our replicas
|
|
 |
| Dr. Giorgio Strano - Curator
of IMSS, the museum where Galileo's telescopes
are kept on
display. He is looking out over Florence's roof tops
from the top of IMSS building, using our
precisely made
replica of
IMSS 2428 just as Galileo Galilei might
have done with one of the original telescopes
some 400 years ago. |
Griffith
Above our replica telescope we built on display at the
Griffith Observatory
Adler
Michelle Nichols Master
Educator Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in
Chicago Illinois checking out Adler's new replica
of Galileo's telescope
IMSS 2427.
which was precisely made to the specifications of
Galileo's original telescope.
Dr. Paul H. Knappenberger jr.
President Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
checking out our two replicas of Galileo's
telescopes with Galileo, Jim and Rhoda looking on in
the background.
|
|
Samples of
the Media's Interest
|
 |
 |
| The objective
end of our replica showing the layers of planking that make up the lens
holder. The gold decoration has not been
applied yet. |
Steven A. Simpson
photographer of the magazine "Night Sky"
taking picture of the objective
end of our replica without the gold
decorations for an article by Jim Quinn
"Stargazing with Galileo".
May/June issue
"Night Sky". |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
One of our two replicas
of Galileo's Telescope being filmed on set for its first
public appearance on Cable TV From left to right
are director of photography Boyd Estus of Heliotrope Studios
Ltd., Hunter Ellis host of the History Channel's "Man Motion.
Machines" Series and Rhoda and Jim Morris
of scitechantiques.com
co-maker of the telescope
|
Note the Camera/Telescope set-up for
filming the image as actually seen through the
replica of Galileo's
telescope We had to make a special
mount to couple the very fragile very rare 12 oz telescope
to the very expensive 42 pound camera to give
the TV audience a feeling for the image quality Galileo
worked with as he scanned around the neighborhood through the
astounding instrument that brought the "far away so much
closer" |
Filming
one of the scenes of Jim Morris and Hunter Ellis chatting
about Galileo's telescope and how it works
|
|
One of our replicas
is at the Griffith Observatory the other is playing its
first acting job of the history channel. Below are some
pictures from the set of History Channels "Man Moment
& Machine" |
 |
|
The crew Gathered together watching
the monitor displaying the image from the telescope Third
from the right is our Producer/
Writer of the History Channel 's Man Moment. Machine Julie
Mirocha. Rhoda is taking the picture. |
|
Meet the principal members of the
replicating team |
|
Jim basic and
applied research physicist on temporary duty as
apprentice to Galileo. |
Rhoda Basic and applied research chemist
on temporary
duty as apprentice to Galileo. |
Galileo Senior member of the team working toward
getting more help for funding and
more support
for basic research. |
Again
read
below an excerpt from one of Galileo's
letters in which he proposes a plan to build many telescopes for
people to be able to see what he saw and convince
them of his discoveries. This letter was sent to
the Tuscan Court on March 19th 1610 - Galileo writes;
\
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Galileo's job is not finished
While
researching and replicating Galileo's Telescopes We discovered another replication that was taking
place, which was the replication of the lack
of support of
basic research in science today, especially in the
U.S.A. , Just as there was lack
of support 400 years ago.
A recent informal survey conducted by the
authors of over 400 people indicates that
almost 80 % of the people on the street when
asked do scientist lie in their published
papers said yes! |
Galileo's story on an international
bases is a
well documented case study, reminding us that
these telescopes stand as symbols of a long held
prejudicial miss understanding against basic research.
We are all victims waiting on the side lines while the various factions in this debate work out
their differences so that we can get on with the basic scientific
research and turn this knowledge into ways that will give us
a fuller, healthier, safer life as it already has shown that it can
do.
The authors suggest that Galileo---- this one man---- and his
telescopes represents in a simple, elegant and dramatic
and important way, all the aspects of what technology and its
mistrusting
antagonists are about in 1600 and to day. One is
compelled to ask Isn't it the time for both sides to work together to
gain a better understanding of each others point of view with
data so we can work out a compromise that we can resolve this dilemma and we can get on with the research we all so badly need.
There is a beautiful case study buried in this 400 year
old story that is both unique and valuable because each
phase of the complex and often hidden important business of doing basic research is all rolled into one type of instrument and
one scientist. All the tasks of doing science are being played by one actor,
in a one act, one prop play with Galileo playing all the parts. Today research is done by teams of scientist and has become very complicated to extract out the many steps
needed to understand how discoveries are made and used
i.e. the business of basic scientific research.
Unfortunately the dialog for such a play is spread thought out the
literature filled with errors of a personalized nature waiting to be
complied into a single script minus all the media melodrama
that clouds the issues.
This web site suggest that
Galileo's story as told through the telescopes can stands as a
mile post showing us what is going on today by
looking at 1600 AD and measuring our progress and
understanding of this prejudice that sadly still exist today, which we call the Galilean syndrome.
|
400 Years Ago 1600
A dramatic picture, a dramatic story,
a dramatic lesson for all of us In the 21st century
News flash
Galileo Galilei SCIENCE TEACHER on trial FOR TEACHING THE EARTH CIRCLES SUN
-- faces being BURNED
ALIVE AT THE STAKE
Warning: Pernicious
Galilean Syndrome, a dangerous
myopic
anti science disease is again infecting our society |
|
|
400 years later
2000 +
A dramatic picture, a dramatic story,
a dramatic lesson for all of us In the 21st century |
|
James-E-Hansen-NASA29jan06.jpg
News flash
James Hansen,
director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space
Studies on trial before the U.S.
congress for warning the public that man is making the earth
dangerously warmer.
If true who will be faced being burned at the stake
this time?
One of the country's leading climate scientists,
has testified "the White House (Politicians
& Oil Companies) repeatedly tried to
control what government scientists say to the
public and media about climate change." It
has been reported that 181 changes were made
by non science political appointed officials,
to three scientific climate reports reflecting a
consistent attempt to emphasize the
uncertainties surrounding the science of climate
change and undercut the broad conclusions that
man-made emissions are warming the earth. Hansen
also said "Interference with communications of
science to the public has been greater during
the current administration than at any time in
my career,"
Warning: Is
the Pernicious
Galilean Syndrome, a dangerous
myopic
anti science disease still infecting our society?
|
|
Symbols of Progress and the
Galilean Syndrome?
The
Galilean Syndrome
Galileo's telescopes are especially important
today because they stand out as symbols warnings us to keep constant vigil against those
that would turn
us away from
science, its methods and tools.
The
Pernicious
Galilean Syndrome its always there!
The support and
funding of basic scientific research so vital to us in
the U.S. and the world, has come under attack again by a
few powerful, charismatic, zealous, leaders repeating the same mistakes of
myopic
judgment that Galileo had to contend with 400 years ago,
In spite of science's
success it is always vulnerable to influential misguided
leaders ready to summon their followers to take our
basic scientific research away from us.
These followers go after
their congresspersons threatening their reelection for
supporting science. Although relatively small in number
they are well organized have proven to be very
effective.
Scientist can
not solve the problems they are given
without adequate funding. They need our help and
support.
There are so few
scientists compared to the world's population including
the very active dissenters that their
warnings and cries for help are too weak to be heard by
the general public.
The cure for
Pernicious
Galilean Syndrome
takes less than five
minutes a year; Most of us
do not appreciate that we are automatically part
of the science team. We don't need a degree in science or take
courses in science to be a very important
contributor to the progress of
|
The
Beautiful Home of Galileo's Telescopes
science and their are
allot of us on the team. However, we do need to
stop taking science for granted and we do need to actively start
supporting it!
As members of the science
team we have a vital role.
We need to bring to the
attention of our congressman the critical
need for our government to strengthen its interest
and support for basic scientific research.
All aspects of our future depends on it.
Yes most of us understand
the value of basic scientific research. Yes
we are large in numbers, and want it supported, but we
must be vigilant, contacting our congressman showing our
support in numbers
that at least match the dissenters.
Galileo's famous and
dramatic telescope story is repeating itself today and
we as well as the dissenters are the victims of this
Pernicious Galilean Syndrome.
In the foto
above is part of the team Jim & Rhoda, best of friends, husband and wife, grandpa
and grandma, physicist and chemist, hanging around Galileo's
neighborhood. Here we are in front of the extraordinary
museum where Galileo Galilei's telescopes, his other
famous instruments, and
his index finger reside. The museum lies on the banks of the beautiful Arno River
in Florence. Galileo is buried just
down the street and is still teaching science
(and the
danger of Pernicious
Galilean Syndrome) to
the public visiting his stylish crypt in the Santa Croce Church. He and his telescopes are
still in there fighting for science. Don't let him down.
Join him in the fight
More Detail on how you can help
Ref.** |
Detail on how
you can help
More Detail on how you can help
|
Galileo and his telescopes
the important technical and cultural
issues surrounding
them in1609
Our
goal is to help readers to enjoy the new information
on the construction details of Galileo's telescopes their optics and the scientific
anomalies that Galileo
dealt with in
designing
and building his high
powered telescopes i.e. why he really developed them and how.
Even though there is a 400
year time
gap between Galileo and the
authors .
we found ourselves being drawn
into a close
personal and professional relationship
with Galileo or at least his spirit while working on the
replication
of his telescopes
He seemed to always be at our side
judging
our work piece by piece
even the inner
most details of his instruments. Galileo grew into more than a colleague
for us, but a friend with an agenda of
pushing
us to build
his telescopes to the highest quality
standard so they might
act as symbols of one of sciences most dramatic
stories highlighting
the dangers
to our science from leaders
endowed with
poor judgment in matters of
science who assume control of our science. to our detriment.
When we shipped our replicas
off to Griffith
observatory
we felt very much like we were shipping the spirit
of Galileo with
them. When they were gone our shop/lab felt strangely empty.
It was only after our
telescope returned
from its journey to California and
back and we could give it a little pat now and then that the
lab felt
more complete.
Our web site takes
you on a step by step tour of the construction, the
surprises and the frustrations of building a truly precise
and high quality replica for very high quality
museums. We take you on tour into bowels of the telescope
wherever very few have been before. Experience the personal design
and political choices Galileo built into these telescopes
and why.
We provide for you a
very rich example of what it is really like to look through
Galileo's telescope and you will be shocked at the very tiny speck of light from a window far off in the distance of a very large dark
cavern. You will develop a great respect for Galileo's
masterful skills as the first observer of the heavens,
seeing them as no one else had ever seen them before.
The following section speaks
to the techno-political issues of why we feel that
Galileo and his telescopes are so important in today's
environment. We state the ground rules we set for
ourselves in this project, and give what we feel is a more
experienced informed look into Galileo's technical and
judgment skills. We also express our views of Galileo's most
important and unique contribution to days science
which goes far beyond his celestial discoveries.
Back ground information for
studying Galileo's Technical decisions
The following section gives a brief a description of the technical environment,
the tools that were being used to explain how nature
worked that Galileo struggled with in earning a living
The Nonsense of Common Sense
Is it in our Gene's?
We start with comparing the tools of common sense used in 1600 with tools
of the scientific method during its earlier stages of
its development.
A statement and a question.
Two lenses plus a narrow cylinder three feet long,
with a total weight of less than a 12 ounces is all that one
needs to build
a Galilean telescope, It seems so simple yet caused so much
trouble for a major church of the day and the
scientific
community. Lenses had been around for centuries as eye
glasses. Why weren't higher power telescopes invented
earlier?
The
following example is certainly part of the answer.
Below we give two simple demonstration of the old way "common
sense" was used to solve or couldn't solve problems and how it came
to be recognized
as the non sense of common sense which was contributing
toward the slowing of the progress of finding
out how things really worked.
Up until
the time of Galileo common sense was virtually the only tool
of choice to explain how things worked. Some people might
like
to call it logic?. Common sense had the advantage of being
simple to use. It was a one liner tool that anyone used It didn't take much work to make up one liners.
Using common sense one
didn't need to take hours making quantitative repeatable
measurements to
take a position
of authority. One didn't need to have your competitors
review your conclusions for flaws in measurement and
reasoning
because there would be no reliable measurement. You didn't
need them. You just
used common sense with the right tone of voice or pen.
1 ST. example Lets look at a
simple example being dealt with in the religion---techo
commonsense debate going on at the time showing the type of common sense that Galileo
and those that were around him at the time had to deal
with.
- It was common sense that told
us that the sun went around the earth.
- Everyone could see it go
around.
- Everyone with common sense
knew that it was very hard to move rocks to build a pyramid and it would take allot more to move the
earth.
- Obviously the earth was just
too big to move.
- Besides you would feel it
moving if it was .
- One could see that the sun was
smaller so it had to be the sun that moved.
- Mathematical formula which
very few understood suggested that the simple retrograde
motion of some of the planets could be explained
if every thing went around the sun but common sense told
many that mathematics' could not be trusted, which
most believe to this day especially when it comes to
statistics, and they say it with great gusto and
assurances.
On and on with reason after reason
It was just common sense ...... |
2 nd. example, The Politics of Optics Galileo the
Engineer and Entrepreneur
Galileo as a businessman;
The authors comments on The business
of basic research 1600 and 2006
The challenges of replicating Galileo's existing telescopes and judging his technical
skills requires a perspective of why he was building
them and for whom he was building them. This knowledge is
critical in judging Galileo's skills as a Scientist/
Engineer/Entrepreneur. (Yes we have to remember that Galileo
was an entrepreneur earning monies to support his research
and family needs just scientist do today.) The
decorative red leather telescope and it negative lens with
its limited field of view but upright image most likely was
an experienced business decision on Galileo's part. The red leather telescope should be considered as part of his product line of technical instruments for
sale or bartering. The very beautiful art work would hardly
have been put on one of his data gathering instrument
for his own research. Its seemly compromised optical design the poor field of view yet high magnification with a short
over all length reflects his customer needs
not a design flaw from a lack of Galileo's skills in optical
design as some have suggested in the literature.
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What was the challenge to Galileo as
he designed his high powered telescope? How did he do it?
Below are three remarkable experimental observations where common sense seemly
makes no sense when
it comes to optics.
Here
Galileo
used the scientific method in
designing his telescopes to get past this anomaly
created
by ones visual
senses. |
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1
ST.
observation of the magic of
lenses; The lens on your right of the above photo is
the kind of lens used as an eyepiece in a Galilean
telescope. Look at the eye in the photo notice how much
smaller the eye and face look through that eyepiece
lens. Now
Galileo found
with measurements that the telescope becomes more powerful
and makes distant things look bigger
by selecting a lens for the
eyepieces that makes things look smaller,
" Smaller?" It
doesn't make common sense that you
would use a lens that makes
things look smaller to get a telescope to make things look
bigger. .
Lets go through that once
more if we used a lens that
made the eye looks even smaller than the one in the photo the
telescope that would make things through the telescope look
even bigger. "Smaller is bigger"
Hmmmmmmmmm? .
2 nd. observation
of the magic of lenses: . The lens on
your left is the kind of lens used as an objective. It goes
on the far end of the telescope gathering
the light from the object and sends it to the eyepiece.
Galileo
found from his measurements that
the weaker its magnifying
power is (as long its greater than 1) the stronger the
telescope "Weaker is stronger"
Where is the common sense of that? Again
note the lens on the left in the above picture makes the eye
look bigger
Galileo
found that
that was not good.
One needs to pick a lens for the objective that would hardly
change the size of the eye when held
close to the eye to the make
things in the distance really big. Low power lens makes hi
power telescope. The focal length of the objective on this
telescope below was 60 foot the lens was very weak but made
objects come in very big? Where is the common sense in that. But it
works see photo below.
3rd observation
of the magic of lenses: Looking through the telescope from
the objective end through the eyepiece, everything looks smaller
rather than bigger. That certainly not something anyone
using common sense would have guessed. Could it be that
Galileo's
critics were and still are looking through the wrong end of the telescope
and therefore couldn't and can't see what Galileo
was seeing.
Could it be that the critics of science today are looking
through their telescopes from the wrong end?
So
in and around 1609 one of the first popularly dramatic
examples of using the scientific method showed that common
sense made no sense in the designing and building the
telescope nor interpreting what you saw through
the telescope. Galileo decided and demonstrated that its far
more productive to use this newly invented tool to
design his telescope, the scientific method! The new tool he
used was based on the
measurement of length mass time then with mathematics as his
language he could more reliably explain
how things really work. Galileo used the scientific method
to get past the magical tricks that lenses seemed to play on
observer's
eyes and mind described above thus finding
the better way to make a
telescope.
So here we have the 1609 environment that
Galileo worked in. The leaders and their followers had
little to no experience in how things in nature worked
they assumed it was just common sense, accept when employing
natures secrets to inventions of war and
political control. Sounds like what still goes on to day.
But first and more important thing to learn is how basic research scientist work, how they get the research
funds to do their work and support themselves and
family. Let us look at why Galileo his telescopes and the
American military decided to spend time and money designing
and building the Hubble and other orbiting telescopes.
Was it to explore the heavens and make new discoveries?
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