The Altamont Enterprise - Thursday, July 13, 2000
21
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The Old Men of the Mountain
0^yf^Cct,
Galileo and honeybees
By T o g e S.K. J o h a n s s o n
Harry Garry featured Galileo
G a l i l e i in h i s M a r c h 30
T l a n e t a r i u m s for t h e people."
T h e s p a c e craft "Galileo,"
l a u n c h e d in 1989 to honor
G a l i l e o ' s c o n t r i b u t i o n s to
astronomy, had recently flown
by Jupiter's moons t h a t Galileo
discovered on J a n . 7, 1610.
Albert Einstein considered him
"the father of modern physics —
i n d e e d of m o d e r n science
altogether."
The coincidence of a rumor in
J u n e , 1609 of a spyglass toy in
Holland got Galileo involved in
astronomy. He sat up that night
to review the principles of refraction, and designed a telescope to make in his instrument
w o r k s h o p . O n e of Galileo's
lenses, which was recently analyzed, was found to be nearly
perfect optically.
Galileo undertook to explore
the night skies, and was
a l a r m e d by w h a t he s a w .
Instead of Aristotle's smooth,
perfect "heavenly spheres," the
moon was as rough as planet
earth, and the "noble perfect"
sun was flawed with spots!
I m a g i n e Galileo's reaction
when his observations seemed to
support Copernicus's view that
the sun, and not e a r t h , as the
c e n t e r of our u n i v e r s e as
Pythagorous had t a u g h t but
Aristotle
rejected.
The
Melissographia:
This 1625 engraving of bees is the first illusUniversities and t h e Church
tration drawn from looking through a microscope.
had adopted Aristotle's view as
central to their teaching.
he was not quite 18 years of age, a t t h e Library of Congress in
For p r o m o t i n g Copernican
1993.
views, the Inquisition had im- w i t h . t h r e e 26-year-old associprisoned Giordano Bruno for ates. Until Cesi died in 1630,
T h e idea of a book-length
the society had considerable inseven years, and then burned
s t u d y w a s put on hold, but
him at the stake on Feb. 17, fluence. It was revived a t variStelluti included a brief four1600. No wonder some turned ous times, and is_ now t h e leadpage i n s e r t in t h i s
Persius
ing scientific society in Italy.
down t h e opportunity to look
Satires,
published in 1630. A
through Galileo's telescope; it
To improve relations with the paste-up for the book is in the
could be a life-threatening expeVatican Library, but the inconChurch, t h e Linceians invited
rience!
Cardinal Barberini to be presi- gruous Persio provides science
historians with a citation for the
Although warned otherwise, dent, b u t h e refused. When
Galileo thought he could propose Barberini's uncle became Pope first published study using a
microscope.
the sun as center of the universe Urban III, Galileo suggested
Galileo's Daughter by Dava
as a hypothesis. But when his Cesi publish a book on honeySobel, published in 1999, is an
Dialogues on the Two Chief bees as the Barberini coat of
elegant, readable memoir of the
World Systems was published in arms included three honeybees.
participants and events associ1632, t h e I n q u i s i t i o n saw
Galileo had given Cesi one of
ated with Galileo. The t r a n s t h r o u g h his subterfuge and
his "microscopes," so named by a
lated letters to Galileo from his
brought him to trial for heresy.
cloistered nun daughter are a
Galileo did recant and escaped Linceian, and asked him to send
delightful mirror of t h e daily
t o r t u r e a n d b u r n i n g a t t h e news of the most curious obserconcerns at the cloister and her
stake, b u t was placed under v a t i o n s he s a w . U s i n g t h e
father's house. It is an excellent
house arrest for the rest of his microscope, Francesco Stelluti
did do a broadsheet of drawings
source of information, referlife.
ences, and illustrations. This
A copy of his book, smuggled of bees in 1625 that is in the
episode with the microscope is
abroad, was t r a n s l a t e d from Vatican Library, and was exhibnot included.
Italian to Latin and reprinted. ited with the Vatican treasures
Union College has a copy of the
rare first edition, k e p t under
temperature and humidity control.
(Continued from page 5)
— The entire issue of collective
It was in the book collection of
the 147-year-old Dudley Observ— The legislation is very nar- bargaining contracts and how
atory, now at 107 Nott T"rracp row in scope as it only relates to this process will deal with existin Schenectady. After a 13-year newly-certified nurse's aides in i n g and possible further contracts must be looked into.
investigation the Vatican con- nursing homes. Perhaps it would
cluded in 1992 t h a t t h e be appropriate to "grandfather
condemnation of Galileo'was an in" certified n u r s i n g aides
— Though this bill constructs
error.
presently employed by a facility;
a New York S t a t e system for
On a visit to Rome in 1611, but what about nurse's aides
background checks, as do at
Galileo attended a b a n q u e t in who leave a facility and go to
least 15 other states, isn't a fedhis honor, and brought along a another facility/ Should they be
eral solution preferable, since the
spyglass to show the moons of subject to a background check?
background check would be
Jupiter. One of the guests sug— The issue of what types of
more encompassing?
The
gested calling this instrument a employees should be covered
Association of State Attorneys
"telescope."
under this law needs to be disGeneral h a s such a proposal,
The host, Prince Federico cussed. Should the background
which needs to be investigated.
Cesi, invited Galileo to become checks only apply to nurse's
t h e fifth m e m b e r of t h e aides? Should they apply to
E d w a r d J . Stafford
Accademia dei Lincei (Lynxes). other employees in health care
E x e c u t i v e Director
This first scientific society was facilities who have contact with
N e w York State H e a l t h
organized by Cesi in 1603 when patients?
. . . Background check
"-r'fitfti (kmmii'mt
By J o h n R. W i l l i a m s
On J u l y 4, the Old Men of the
Mountain
met
at
the
Voorheesville
Diner
in
Voorheesville. On the Fourth of
July we expected a small group
to show up. However, we had
quite a surprise. Twenty guys
joined together for breakfast,
and this group definitely knows
what July Fourth is all about.
At this meeting, the talk centered around one of our prestigious members (a t r u e craftsm a n , especially as a woodworker) who had a little problem
in his shop. We all know or
did; back to fortunately) the fingers were not completely sawn
off, although one was only held
on by the flesh on the back of the
finger. The- others were cut
through t h e bone. T h e ambulance was called; he was taken to
the emergency room for treatment; the fingers were all sewn
back on; then he was bandaged
up and this OMOTM was sent
home.
What a way to get out of
driving! We know t h e price of
gas is ridiculous, but this manner is a little extreme. We will •
help him out by cutting his food,
I'll be darned if any of us are going
to give him a bath
or help him in the John.
should know that, when working driving him around, mowing his
with any power tool, daydream- lawn, and stuff like t h a t , but 111
ing about the young lady next be darned if any of us are going
door is a no-no. The tool realizes to give him his bath or help him
you're not giving it your full at- in the John. Those two functions
tention and it gets a little ticked he will have to figure out how to
off, so it j u m p s up and bites you. do for himself.
Such w a s t h e case with this
Those a t t e n d i n g a t t h e
OMOTM.
Voorheesville Diner and admirAll joking aside, he was doing ing the whiteness of the bansomething he h a s done many daged hand waving in the air
times before on t h e table saw in were: Carl Slater, Joe F a r k a s ,
his shop. However, this time he Keith Saddlemire, Robie Ostertook his eyes off the business end m a n , George W a s h b u r n , Gerd
of the saw for j u s t an instant to R e m m e r s , Bill M c D e r m i t t ,
check t h e position of the push Arnold. Geraldson, Ernie Ecker,
stick and whoops! Three fingers Steve Kelly, Mike Willsey, Paul
in the saw!
Giebitz, Ted Willsey, Harold
Fortunately (now true fortune Murphy, Myron Filkins, Harold
would be that the fingers never Grippen, Bob Willsey, Gene
met the saw; unfortunately, they Johnson, Don Moser, and me.
lite
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