[Fox News] Who is Galileo Galilei? Italian philosopher who shaped our understanding of the stars
Few figures shine as brightly as Galileo Galilei, an Italian philosopher whose contributions to astronomy revolutionized the understanding of the stars.
“Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) has always played a key role in any history of science, as well as many histories of philosophy. He is a – if not the – central figure of the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century,” reads the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Born in Pisa, Italy on Feb. 15, 1564, Galileo’s insatiable curiosity and relentless pursuit of knowledge propelled him to the forefront of scientific inquiry during the Renaissance era.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JANUARY 7, 1610, GALILEO DISCOVERS THE MOONS OF JUPITER
Galileo’s journey began in Renaissance Italy at the University of Pisa, where he initially studied medicine but soon found his true calling in mathematics and natural philosophy.
His need for learning led him to explore diverse fields, including physics, engineering and astronomy. However, due to financial constraints, he left the University of Pisa without completing his degree, says History.com.
Galileo continued his self-directed studies and expanded his knowledge in various fields.
Despite facing financial challenges, Galileo’s pursuit of knowledge and passion for science set the stage for his later achievements.
In 1609, Galileo constructed his first telescope, where he made a series of astonishing discoveries that forever altered our perception of the universe.
On Jan. 7, 1610, Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter — making it the first observation of this planet.
He utilized his telescope to identify four of Jupiter’s orbiting moons, examine Saturn, observe the varying phases of Venus, and scrutinize sunspots on the surface of the sun. The four moons, and Jupiter’s largest satellites, are lo, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
“In observing the sun, Galileo saw a series of ‘imperfections.’ He had discovered sunspots. Monitoring these spots on the sun demonstrated that the sun in fact rotated. Furthermore, later observations by Francesco Sizzi in 1612 suggested that the spots on the sun actually changed over time,” says The Library of Congress.
ITALY MUSEUM TO DISPLAY FINGERS, TOOTH BELIEVED TO BE GALILEO’S
Galileo was ordered to appear before the Holy Office to face charges related to his advocating for the Copernican theory and his belief in the Earth’s movement around the sun, a stance the Catholic Church deemed heretical.
This marked Galileo’s second confrontation for rejecting the Church’s doctrine that positioned the Earth as the unmovable center of the universe.
“In 1616, Galileo had been forbidden from holding or defending his beliefs. In the 1633 interrogation, he denied that he ‘held’ belief in the Copernican view but continued to write about the issue and evidence as a means of ‘discussion’ rather than belief,” according to History.com.
Undeterred by persecution, Galileo continued his astronomical inquiries, publishing “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” in 1632. The book presented a vigorous defense of heliocentrism and provoked the anger of Church authorities.
In 1633, Galileo faced the Inquisition and was found guilty of heresy and sentenced to house arrest by Pope Urban VIII for the remainder of his life, says History.com.
ITALY MUSEUM TO DISPLAY FINGERS, TOOTH BELIEVED TO BE GALILEO’S
Galileo’s contributions to physics, mathematics and astronomy echo across the ages, earning him a rightful place among history’s greatest minds. Nearly 70 at the time of his trial, Galileo lived his last nine years under comfortable house arrest, while writing a summary of his early experiments.
In 2018, U.K. researchers said they found a long-lost letter written by Galileo that shows he engaged in a little deception to fend off the Inquisition.
Galileo wrote to a friend in 1613 saying he believed the Earth revolved around the sun, and not vice versa. He got sneaky and asked his friend for the original back, so he could soften it after a friar forwarded it to the Inquisition.
“He died in Arcetri near Florence, Italy on Jan. 8, 1642, at the age of 77 after suffering from heart palpitations and a fever,” says History.com
As we gaze upon the stars, let us remember the man whose dedication to truth reshaped the course of scientific questions for centuries to come.
[Fox News] AI robot that can trim, edge, blow your lawn for you
Imagine a future where the hum of lawn mowers and the rustle of leaves being raked are sounds of the past, replaced by quiet and efficient robots. With the invention of Electric Sheep Robotics’ Verdie, the era of back-breaking yard work and coordinating with landscaping services could be over. This AI-powered bot doesn’t just trim the edges; it’s a whiz with power tools and a master at blowing away debris.
Electric Sheep Robotics, based in San Francisco, has been revolutionizing the way we think about garden maintenance. Their Robots-as-a-Service rental model has been a game-changer, but their recent acquisitions of traditional outdoor service providers signal a bold move towards dominating the large-scale outdoor maintenance market.
MORE: 5 BEST GADGETS TO MAKE GARDENING EASY
In a bid to tap into the lucrative $1 trillion outdoor maintenance market, Electric Sheep is phasing out gas-guzzling power tools and replacing them with their fleet of emission-free robots. This not only addresses environmental concerns but also provides a solution to the labor shortages plaguing the industry.
MORE: THE AI ROBOT GARBAGE PICKER CAN SORT OVER 500 TYPES OF TRASH IN SECONDS
At the heart of Electric Sheep’s operation is ES1, a generative AI training model. By simulating photo-realistic parks and lawns, ES1 equips the maintenance bots with the intelligence to navigate real-world challenges, from dodging obstacles to escaping gopher holes.
MORE: CONSTRUCTION WORKERS BEING REPLACED BY AI ROBOT BRICKLAYERS
Designed to run on Nvidia’s Jetson platforms, ES1 allows for the entire policy to be trained on a single desktop GPU. What’s more, the system continually evolves, learning from real outdoor scenarios to enhance its pre-trained knowledge pool.
MORE: THE CREEPY-EYED ROBOT THAT WANTS TO BE YOUR FRIEND AND TEACHER
Currently, ES1 is the driving force behind a fleet of 40 robot mowers across America. And soon, it will be powering the garden bot Verdie. With reinforcement learning and a suite of common power tools at its disposal, Verdie is set to revolutionize outdoor maintenance.
With a variety of electric tools already tested and stereo cameras for spatial awareness, Verdie is well on its way to joining outdoor maintenance crews safely. Its self-balancing, articulating wheeled platform features six degrees of freedom, ensuring precision in every task.
Electric Sheep will add the AI-powered Verdie landscaping robot to its automated outdoor maintenance solutions from the second quarter of 2024.
It’s clear that Electric Sheep Robotics’ Verdie is not just a leap forward for garden maintenance; it’s a giant stride towards a greener, more efficient future. So, next time you think about yard work, remember, Verdie’s got it covered – and it’s doing it with an eco-friendly wink and a robotic nod.
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