galileo galilei

Stephen Hawking has credited him with contributing more to the modern natural sciences than anybody else. He is considered the father of modern astronomy, modern physics and the scientific method. He improved the telescope, made numerous astronomical observations, discovered the first and second laws of motion, and provided scientific support for Copernicanism. His discoveries liberated European intellectual life from Aristotelian and ultimately Roman Catholic theological domination, and led to the freedom of thought and subsequent discoveries we enjoy the fruits of today. This week's great Italian is Galileo.