It’s one mark of the significance of Galileo to scientific progress that many myths about him exist even today. He seems to still be a focal point in present day debates between science and religion, pseudoscience and magical thinking.
But one of the most cynical myths is the opportunist interpretation of his promotion of the Copernican heliocentric solar system as being simply a David vs Goliath struggle. And that Galileo was correct because he was standing up to the “orthodoxy,” or consensus, of the then “establishment.”
A recent example is that promoted by British playwright Richard Bean “who reckons climate change science is junk, the findings alarmist, data frequently tortured into submission and the mainstream media not in a position to confront the complexity of the issue and question whether it’s really happening” (see Herald article Beyond belief). He said in his interview:
“Orthodoxy closes off thinking and if…
View original post 785 more words
Arkarbor 