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In the book’s climax, Salviati supposedly proves the Copernican system by citing the movement of the tides.  This theory of Galileo’s was completely false and had already been disproved by Kepler.

In the book’s climax, Salviati supposedly proves the Copernican system by citing the movement of the tides.  This theory of Galileo’s was completely false and had already been disproved by Kepler.

Catholic Church officials were furious about this book and the Inquisition banned its sale.  Galileo was summoned to Rome.  Unlike Luther, Galileo remained a Catholic and fully accepted whatever judgment the Church would render against him.  His “trial” was a bit of a farce, probably put on for show more than anything, with Galileo living in plush quarters at all times.  At the end of the trial Galileo was required to live in a house where the Church could keep an eye on him, much as the American government interned Japanese Americans during World War II to keep an eye on them.<ref>This internment during wartime was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in ''[[Korematsu v. United States]]'', but is widely criticized today.</ref>  Galileo was not imprisoned.  Galileo then continued his scientific work but was kept from embarrassing the Church further.  Galileo never split from the Church and completely accepted his punishment.

Catholic Church officials were furious about this book and then its "Inquisition" banned the sale of the book.  Galileo was summoned to Rome.  Unlike Luther, Galileo remained a Catholic and fully accepted whatever judgment the Church would render against him.  His “trial” was a bit of a farce, probably put on for show more than anything, with Galileo living in plush quarters at all times.  At the end of the trial Galileo was required to live in a house where the Church could keep an eye on him, much as the American government interned Japanese Americans during World War II to keep an eye on them.<ref>This internment during wartime was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in ''[[Korematsu v. United States]]'', but is widely criticized today.</ref>  Galileo was not imprisoned.  Galileo then continued his scientific work but was kept from embarrassing the Church further.  Galileo never split from the Church and completely accepted his punishment.

There were other noteworthy scientists during this era.  [[Vesalius]] advanced the understanding of anatomy for medical doctors.  [[William Harvey]] explained the circulatory system in human anatomy.  [[Rene Descartes]] was a French mathematician and philosopher who discovered [[analytical geometry]] and famously declared, “I think, therefore I am.”  [[Francis Bacon]] promoted research based on experimentation.

There were other noteworthy scientists during this era.  [[Vesalius]] advanced the understanding of anatomy for medical doctors.  [[William Harvey]] explained the circulatory system in human anatomy.  [[Rene Descartes]] was a French mathematician and philosopher who discovered [[analytical geometry]] and famously declared, “I think, therefore I am.”  [[Francis Bacon]] promoted research based on experimentation.

'''In England there was Sir [[Isaac Newton]] (1643-1727), who after Jesus Christ was perhaps the most influential man who ever lived'''.  If Newton were alive today, then he would be described as a Christian fundamentalist.  Everything Newton did was inspired and motivated by his powerful faith in the Word of God in the Bible.  Abandoned by his own mother, Newton had an [[inferiority complex]] that drove him to achieve more and more.  In one summer he discovered the laws of [[gravity]] and also [[calculus]], and the world has never been the same since.

A bit later, in England, '''a man named [[Isaac Newton]] (1643-1727) lived, who after Jesus Christ is considered the most influential man in all of world history'''.  If Newton were alive today, then he would be described as a Christian fundamentalist.  Everything Newton did was inspired and motivated by his powerful faith in the Word of God in the Bible.  Abandoned by his own mother, Newton had an [[inferiority complex]] that drove him to achieve more and more.  In one summer he discovered the laws of [[gravity]] and also [[calculus]], and the world has never been the same since.

Like most other men who made great advances in knowledge, Newton discovered and explained something that was unseen:  the invisible force of gravity.  Newton proposed action-at-a-distance, whereby one object attracts another through an invisible force of gravity.  Newton was ridiculed for proposing that something unseen could act at a distance and influence something else millions of miles away from it.  Yet Newton was right.  Speaking of the world in which we live, Newton once said, “Why not try to understand it?”  Newton understood it and explained it to the rest of us, and we are forever grateful.

Like most other men who made great advances in knowledge, Newton discovered and explained something that was unseen:  the invisible force of gravity.  Newton proposed action-at-a-distance, whereby one object attracts another through an invisible force of gravity.  Newton was ridiculed for proposing that something unseen could act at a distance and influence something else millions of miles away from it.  Yet Newton was right.  Speaking of the world in which we live, Newton once said, “Why not try to understand it?”  Newton understood it and explained it to the rest of us, and we are forever grateful.