Galileo又印了一本书,说太阳不动,动的是地球,于是,惹起公愤,虽然他对了。——但别人都错的时候,他一个人对没有用,他被抓到“宗教裁判所”,宗教法庭(Inquisition)。Inquisition动不动就把人烧死,因为Galileo是大学者,又太老了(七十岁),又有点后台(有贵人保护),又“认错”,于是“优待”,改判为“终身软禁”(permanenthousearrest)。Housearrest,aformofarrestinwhichapersonisconfinedunderguardinhisownhouse:Authoritiesinsistednoonehadbeenjailedbutsaidsomestrikerswereunderhousearrest.(TuscaloosaNews)
他“认错”以后,偷偷在一个朋友耳边说:“但它(地球)还在动啊!”Yetitdoesmove!(Epursimuove!)
他被关在家里,大诗人JohnMilton(当时三十岁),到Italy旅行,到Galileo家里拜访,Galileo已经瞎了,真巧,十四年后,Milton也瞎了。
JohnMilton,anEnglishpoetandpoliticalwriter,wroteoneoftheworldsgreatestepics,ParadiseLost.(一六六七)Hecomposedthisfamousepicandtwootherworks,ParadiseRegained(一六七一)andSamsonAgonistes(一六七一),whenhewastotallyblind.Milton
Galileo的头脑比时代新,所以老是倒霉。这叫“生不逢辰”(bornatawrongtime;luckless;unlucky)。
对Galileo在science方面的conclusion是——c.1600Galileoemphasizedthemathematicalinterpretationofexperimentsinscience.Hediscoveredmanyimportantphysicallaws.
第三个科学家——哈维(WilliamHarvey),活了七十九岁。
中文有句成语叫“周而复始”(torepeatthecyclealloveragain)血在人身体里就是周而复始的。发现这一现象很不容易。
但是哈维发现了。哈维也指出过Aristotle的错误,但对Aristotle的敬爱并不因而减少。哈维有一个大阔佬病人,也是他的好朋友,就是当时英国的皇帝KingCharlesI。后来CharlesI倒台,在Oxford地方哈维的许多稿本都被反对皇帝的人destroyed了,Theirlosscausedhimgreatsorrow.
对WilliamHarvey在science方面的conclusion是——1628WilliamHarveypublishedhistheoryonthecirculationoftheblood.
第四个科学家——波义尔(RobertBoyle),活了六十四岁。
波义尔是哲学家、物理学家、化学家(Boyelwasaphilosopher,aphysicistandachemist),“thefatherofmodernchemistry”。
英国最有名,也是世界最有名的学术团体——皇家学会(theRoyalSociety)创办的时候,本来要请Boyel做会长,但因为他在religion方面的原因不愿宣誓,所以没做。(WhileatOxfordhewastheleaderofagroupofscientistsknownastheInvisibleCollege,whichin1663wasincorporatedastheRoyalSocietyofLondon.AlthoughBoylewasinvitedtobepresidentofthisorganizationin1680,herefusedbecausehehadreligiousscruplesagainsttakinganoath.Boylewasdeeplyreligious.AtGenevahehadbeenunderstrongCalvinistinfluencewhichdeeplyimpressedhimandgavehislifeaseriouscharacter.)
ROYALSOCIETYistheoldestscientificsocietyintheworldandprobablythemostfamous.ThefulltitleoftheorganizationisTheRoyalSocietyofLondonforImprovingNaturalKnowledge.ItgrewoutofweeklymeetingswhichLondonscientistsheldasearlyas1645.In1660,thesocietywasofficiallyorganizedwiththeapprovalofKingCharlesII.(就是CharlesI的儿子。)
In1662,thesocietywasformallyincorporatedbycharterofCharlesIIastheRoyalSocietyofLondonforPromotingNaturalKnowledge,or,asitispopularlyknown,theRoyalSociety.Fromitsearliestyears,theSocietymaintainedcorrespondencewithContinentalphilosophers,andselectionsfromthiscorrespondencebecametheworld-famousPhilosophicalTransactions.SirIsaacNewtonwastheSocietyspresidentfrom1703untilhisdeathin1727.Intheapproximately300yearsofitsexistence,theSocietyhassponsorednumerousscientificexpeditionsandextensiveresearch,including,inrecentyears,anotableseriesofinvestigationsoftropicaldiseases.
对Boyle在science方面的conclusion是——1660sRobertBoyleappliedthescientificmethodtochemistry.
第五个科学家——牛顿(IsaacNewton),活了八十五岁。
Galileo死的那年(Jan.8,1642),就是Newton生的那年(Dec.25,1642)。
Galileo死在年头,Newton生在年尾。他们都没结婚,但Galileo有两个女儿一个儿子。Galileo的一些观察是错的,他虽然把球从斜塔朝下丢,但并没发现落体的真正速度,也没成立定律(law),直到Newton出来,才完成了这一解释。牛顿是个“遗腹子”(aninfantbornafterthedeathofitsfather;aposthumouschild),从小妈妈不在身边,跟姥姥长大,他从小就喜欢科学。
①Newtondiscoveredthatsunlightisamixtureoflightofallcolors.Hepassedabeamofsunlightthroughaglassprismandstudiedthecolorsthatwereproduced.(Bypassingabeamofsunlightthroughaprism,Newtonshowedthatwhitelightismadeupoftherainbowscolors.)
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