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In Galileo and the Science Deniers , Mario Livio, astrophysicist and bestselling author, draws on his own scientific knowledge to conjecture how Galileo arrived at his revolutionary conclusions about the cosmos and the laws of nature.
The story of Galileo Galilei is a terrifying precursor to what we're experiencing today, for example, when it comes to the climate crisis or the fight against COVID-19. Science, once again, is wrongly questioned and ignored. Four hundred years ago, Galileo faced the same problem. His discoveries, based on careful observation and ingenious experiments, contradicted common sense and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the time. In retaliation, in a direct attack on freedom of thought, his books were banned by ecclesiastical authorities.
A freethinker who followed the evidence, Galileo was one of the most prominent figures of the Scientific Revolution. He believed that everyone should learn science, as well as literature, and insisted on seeking the widest possible audience for his discoveries, publishing his books in Italian rather than Latin.
Galileo was tried for refusing to recant his scientific convictions. He went down in history as a hero and an inspiration to scientists and all those who respect science—and who, as Mario Livio reminds us, remain under threat to this day.
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