Galileo’s Force-free Physics
speaker: John Heilbron (Worcester College, Oxford)abstract: By eschewing causes of the kind with which Aristotle filled his physics, Galileo made the significant progress in the science of motion that is perhaps his greatest substantive achievement. His moves from dynamics to kinematics were not always progressive, however, and some of Galileo’s enduring misconceptions arose from his backing away from physical causes. He freed himself from Aristotle largely by following Archimedes, and then freed himself from Archimedes (as a guide to the theory of motion) by following his own, characteristic form of thought. After presenting some examples of his force-free physics, I shall try to show that it was of a piece with his literary tastes and criticism and with the attitude that got him into trouble with the church.
timetable:
Mon 13 Sep, 17:00 - 18:30, Sala Conferenze Centro De Giorgi
<< Go back