Publish and Perish? Galileo’s Dilemma

Today Galileo is justly celebrated as a champion of experiment and observation in astronomy and physics. One of the inventors of the telescope, he trained its lens on the planets, discovering the four major moons of Jupiter and vindicating Copernicus’s view of the heliocentric solar system. Mindful of the fate of others who defied the Catholic Church's anti-Copernican views, he was forced to recant, but his stature as a founder of modern science has endured.

Naturally, the day-to-day events of Galileo’s life were likely more complicated. In Bertolt Brecht’s play “The Life of Galileo”, his forceful advocacy of observation plays off against more pragmatic concerns: how to land a good job, whom to curry favor with, and the art of self-promotion.

In the Jefferson Center’s upcoming Salon, Sunday, May 19th, 4-6 pm in the Old Ashland Armory, we’ll use a crucial scene from Brecht’s play as a spur for discussion about Galileo’s life, the choices he faced, and how they might still resonate for us today.

Barry Kraft, Jefferson center member, local actor, Shakespeare scholar, and all-around renaissance man, will join us for the discussion, and to direct the play reading. In between short readings from this scene, we will consider some of the implications of Galileo’s approach to science and truth, his complex relationship with the Catholic Church, and how myths and facts about him have entered into modern intellectual and cultural life.

Contact Tony Davis (tonydavis0@gmail.com, (240) 642-3476) with any questions about this event.