A Universe of Mathematical Laws

A Universe of Mathematical Laws

Galileo instigated one of the most important scientific changes in history. He developed many new ideas and ways of gathering information which he used to hypothesize new theories. He used his ability to persuade and changed the way science was thought of forever. He developed a new instrument called the telescope and discovered a wide variety of new information about the universe. This information would eventually influence scientists, theologians, and basically all people. He had discovered that the earth was not the center of the universe, and that the universe contained more numbers and mathematical formulas than ever thought. In fact, Galileo, pictured below, often thought of the universe as just one enormous math problem. The fact that the universe was becoming more mathematical and less abstract caused many problems within the church. People now how to deal with the fact that human beings were not the center of everything. They had to deal with the fact that human society was possibly less important than had been previously believed. Galileo developed the idea that the universe was a playground of numbers, and this idea changed lives, religions, and history forever.

Why were these changes that Galileo caused so controversial in people's lives and religions, though? Why was the transition from the belief in a earth-centered universe to a heliocentric universe so hard for people, and why was the knowledge of a mathematical universe so important? The answer to these questions comes from the lives that these people led and the "truths" in which these people had their lives based. The working class of the late fifteen hundreds lived troubled lives, where infants died often, disease was usually incurable, and most people where extremely poor. The only thing these people had to believe in was God and the rest of the church. On the other hand, church leaders led extravagant lives with luscious food and housing. They did not want Galileo to change the status quo and ruin the fine lives they were leading. Galileo's testimony that the earth was not the center of the universe frightened many people into thinking that he was suggesting that God didn't exist. People weren't ready to hear the fact that they were not the center to which everything else revolved around.