[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. 

Read More 

[Fox Business] Easter egg gifted to child during WWII goes up for auction after it was preserved for 85 years

A chocolate-filled gift that was handed out 85 years ago is set to sell at auction — and it comes with a heartfelt backstory. 

Sybil Cook was a nine-year-old girl living in Neath, South Wales, in 1939 when her uncle gave her a chocolate Easter egg, as Hansons Auctioneers reported. 

With the gift, Cook’s uncle asked the young girl to ration the sweet treat, as “there might not be any chocolate around soon.”

PRECIOUS US STAMP FROM 1868 EXPECTED TO SELL FOR EYE-POPPING SUM: ‘RAREST OF THE RARE’

World War II had arrived in Britain — and Cook took her uncle’s words very seriously, so much so that she didn’t take a single bite of the chocolate egg for the rest of her life.

When Cook died in 2021 at age 91, the blue-and-white paper was still fully wrapped around the chocolate egg, according to Hansons. 

One of Cook’s two daughters, Gill Bolter, told Hansons that her mother was a disciplined woman who wanted to be “respectful to her elders.”

ORIGINAL ‘FRIENDS’ TV SCRIPTS SELL AT AUCTION FOR OVEER $30,000 AFTER 219 BIDDERS ATTEMPT PURCHASE

“When we asked Mom how she’d managed to keep the egg for so long, she told us that having kept it all through the war … it didn’t seem right to eat it,” Bolter recalled. 

Bolter detailed the egg’s journey over the last 85 years.

He said it went with Cook through her childhood and into her marriage in 1955. It then sat on a shelf in her bedroom for the next 60 years. 

Bolter said she was eventually gifted the egg — and that she kept it in her bedroom until now.

WOMAN BUYS UNUSUAL BROOCH FOR $25 IN 1988, MAY SELL IT AT AUCTION FOR $16,000

On Tuesday, March 19, the egg will be auctioned off by Hansons Auctioneers.

It’s expected to sell for at least $300. 

The box containing the egg held up so well that markings on the back noting the owner’s name and year can still be seen.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

The 61-year-old director at a hospitality company detailed her mother’s personality by saying she loved antique shows on television — and that her mom would love to know that her daughter was auctioning off the special egg. 

“It would be lovely if the egg went to a museum alongside mom’s wartime memories,” she told Hansons. 

Hansons Auctioneers owner Charles Hanson said that the origin story of the Easter egg “melted” his heart.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

“It’s a wonderful reminder of wartime austerity, respectful obedience and a little girl who was so strict with herself [that] she would not allow herself this treat,” he said in a press release. 

Those interested in bidding on the unique treat can visit hansonslive.co.uk for more information.

FOX Business reached out to Hansons for additional information. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle.

Read More 

[Fox Business] Tennessee bill proposed would require pharmacies to inform customers of lowest prescription prices

A bill proposed in Tennessee aims to offer the cheapest prescription drugs to people in the state by requiring pharmacies to notify customers of the lowest price available for their medications.

House Bill 2897 would require a pharmacy or other authorized dispensing entities to do everything in their power, within reason, to alert their customer of the lowest available cost of a prescription drug before the sale is finished.

The sponsor of the bill, Republican State Rep. Sabi ‘Doc’ Kumar, said the health system has featured insurers purchasing some pharmacy chains and pharmacy benefit managers while also increasing the price of the medications, according to FOX 17 Nashville.

EPA FINALIZES BAN ON LAST FORM OF ASBESTOS USED IN US

The bill attempts to prevent patients from paying higher co-pays when they can pay for a cheaper product without using their insurance card.

The proposed legislation also looks to motivate pharmacists to use a software program that will tell them when a medication is available at a lower cost.

“Health care is complex, and it is getting more complex every day,” Kumar told FOX 17. “But, we are trying to make the best effort to save Tennesseans as much money as possible on their medications.”

WEGOVY, THE WEIGHT-LOSS MEDICATION, GETS FDA APPROVAL FOR USE AS HEART DISEASE PREVENTION DRUG

In most states, choosing the lower out-of-pocket price for a prescription would not go toward a patient’s deductible, but legislation passed last year in Tennessee allows people in the state to apply cash payments to their deductible by contacting their insurance provider.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

HB 2897 advanced out of the Health Subcommittee last week and is expected to be heard by the Health Committee on Wednesday. A companion bill is also advancing through the Senate.

Read More