What was the problem with Galileo and what was theory and how was he handled by society then?
Galileo was a firm believer in the Heliocentric school of thought, with the Sun being the center of the universe, first discovered by Copernicus. This view was directly contrary to official Catholic Church’s belief that the universe moved around the earth, which was also popular opinion at the time. The Catholic church believed that this was a sign of the uniqueness of mankind, and to suggest otherwise was blasphemous. Eventually, Galileo was forced to recant his very public statements contrary to the catholic church (although it is rumored that he stated, “And yet it moves,” meaning the earth) and was put under house arrest for the remainder of his life. Eventually everyone came to believe that the Earth DOES revolve around the Sun, and Galileo is now admired for his courage and scientific genius (he is also sometimes credited with inventing the telescope).
