Quote of the Day by Galileo : If you think popularly accepted norms are unquestionable and should be conformed to without questioning the underlying premise, take a moment to pause and reflect. The powerful remarks of Galileo Galilei serve as a wake up call to stop and think, to re-examine our beliefs particularly when many other people hold them too. This view promotes careful thought instead of simply accepting ideas, right on the face of it just because they are widely held. The scientist's words stress the need for humble reasoning and indicate that personal thought and logic should be given greater importance than depending on authority, popularity, or the desire to conform. This method encourages a critical assessment of any information, no matter how many people believe it to be true.
The well-known astronomer and mathematician realised that if one is to discover the truth then one must have curiosity, carry out observations and be willing to question accepted ideas; for Galileo knowledge could not be based merely on the number of people who supported a particular idea.
His life was an embodiment of that principle. By studying motion, astronomy and the heavens, Galileo contributed to a change in the way people investigated the natural world, and his firm belief in the use of mathematics and experimentation became an important element in the development of the scientific method.
