Galileo

Galileo (Galileo Galilei, 1564-1642), a brilliant scientist, founder of mechanics as a science of motion, born in the city of Pisa (Italy). In the field of exact sciences, he became famous for discovering the laws of the pendulum and free fall of bodies, and for inventing the optical telescope and the astronomical telescope. With the help of the latter, G. was the first to see mountains on the moon, spots on the sun, and satellites of Jupiter. He calculated the time of the sun's rotation around its axis, and the time of the satellites' rotation around Jupiter. G. was one of the most prominent supporters of the Copernican system. For medicine, G. is interesting in that he attempted to apply the laws of mechanics he had discovered to human work and to explain the phenomena of fatigue. He believed that climbing causes fatigue, as it contradicts the "natural laws" according to which bodies must strive downward. Muscles, in G.'s opinion, become fatigued because they move not only their own weight but also the weight of the skeleton and the entire body. The heart, which moves only its own mass, does not tire. Despite their unfounded nature, G.'s views are of interest as the first attempt to explain the phenomena of fatigue, which remain unsolved to this day. GALIPLANKTON, GELEOPLANKTON, see Plankton.