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1、Lesson32Galileoreborn伽利略的復(fù)生InhisownlifetimeGalileowasthecentreofviolentcontroversy;butthescientificdusthaslongsincesettled,andtodaywecanseeevenhisfamousclashwiththeInquisitioninsomethinglikeitsproperperspective.But,incontrast,itisonlyinmoderntimesthatGalil
2、eohasbecomeaproblemchildforhistoriansofscience.TheoldviewofGalileowasdelightfullyuncomplicated.Hewas,aboveall,amanwhoexperimented:whodespisedtheprejudicesandbooklearningoftheAristotelians,whoputhisquestionstonatureinsteadoftotheancients,andwhodrewhisconclu
3、sionsfearlessly.Hehadbeenthefirsttoturnatelescopetothesky,andhehadseenthereevidenceenoughtooverthrowAristotleandPtolemytogether.HewasthemanwhoclimbedtheLeaningTowerofPisaanddroppedvariousweightsfromthetop,whorolledballsdowninclinedplanes,andthengeneralized
4、theresultsofhismanyexperimentsintothefamouslawoffreefall.Butacloserstudyoftheevidence,supportedbyadeepersenseoftheperiod,andparticularlybyanewconsciousnessofthephilosophicalundercurrentsinthescientificrevolution,hasprofoundlymodifiedthisviewofGalileo.Today
5、,althoughtheoldGalileolivesoninmanypopularwritings,amonghistoriansofscienceanewandmoresophisticatedpicturehasemerged.AtthesametimeoursympathyforGalileo'sopponentshasgrownsomewhat.Histelescopicobservationsarejustlyimmortal;theyarousedgreatinterestatthetime,
6、theyhadimportanttheoreticalconsequences,andtheyprovidedastrikingdemonstrationofthepotentialitieshiddenininstrumentsandapparatus.ButcanweblamethosewholookedandfailedtoseewhatGalileosaw,ifwerememberthattouseatelescopeatthelimitofitspowerscallsforlongexperien
7、ceandintimatefamiliaritywithone'sinstrument?WasthephilosopherwhorefusedtolookthroughGalileo'stelescopemoreculpablethanthosewhoallegedthatthespiralnebulaeobservedwithLordRosse'sgreattelescopeintheeighteen-fortieswerescratchesleftbythegrinder?Wecanperhapsfor
8、givethosewhosaidthemoonsofJupiterwereproducedbyGalileo'sspyglassifwerecallthatinhisday,asforcenturiesbefore,curvedglasswasthepopularcontrivanceforproducingnottruthbutillusion,untruth;andifasinglecurvedglasswo
