A talk by Francesca Battista
Galileo Galilei can probably be considered the best known Italian scientist in the world. Universally known as the father of modern science, through his studies Galileo sanctioned the universality of the relationship between cause and effect in scientific research. One of the greatest scientists in the history of humanity, his contributions span from philosophy to mathematics and astronomy. In the field of astronomy he studied the Copernican theory of planetary motion, bringing about important modifications to the telescope, and published the first two laws of planetary motions. He observed the moon and discovered Jupiter’s four satellites. In general, through his experimental scientific method (also called Galilean method) he revolutionised the way reality was investigated by basing it no longer on direct observation of nature, but on the use of scientific tools. Galileo was strongly convinced that science and faith should be independent from one another, he rejected the Ptolemaic system, which he compared to the Copernican theory in the Dialogue on the two Chief World Systems, which exposed him to the ire of the Inquisition, in front of which, having been accused of heresy, he was humiliated and forced to retract his theories. Three and a half centuries after his death the Church recognised that the sentence had been unjust.
The talk will discuss life and works of this true genius who, with scientific rigour, opposed his contemporaries and changed forever the scientific method.
Francesca Battista was born in Modena in 1983. After having attended the Liceo Classico, she obtained a Degree in Physics at the Modena and Reggio Emilia University. Subsequently she carried out her PhD studies at the Department of Mathematical Physics at the Lund University, Sweden. In 2013 she started a postdoctoral research at the RWTH-Aachen University in Germany. In 2016 she has completed her second postdoctoral research in the Condensed Matter group within the Department of Physics at the University of Buenos Aires. She specialises in the field of Quantum Physics. She is currently teacher of physics at the Italian school Cristoforo Colombo in Buenos Aires.
The talk will be given in English.
Free entry. Limited seats.
Booking essential: www.eventbrite.com.au