Science and Technology and the Changing World Order Colloquium Proceedings 12 and 13 April, ... Book

Einstein said of Galileo that he was "the father of modern physics - of modern science altogether". We think of him as the father of astronomy. But how much do we really know about his life? The answer, surprisingly, is quite a lot. This book, entitled Galileo's Daughter is a dual biography, both of Galileo and of his eldest daughter, a cloistered nun of the Poor Clares. It is also in part a fascinating chronicle of a 17th Century clash between Science and Catholic doctrine; arguably the most historically significant and intense battle between religious belief and scientific knowledge. Sobel's account is compiled in the main from the 120 letters (translated from the Italian) written by Suor Maria Celeste, which she weaves into her narrative. Sadly none of Galileo's letters still survive, although it is clear that they were in contact daily, and that Maria was his most trusted confidante.

Galileo had 3 illegitimate children to care for. Maria (formerly Virginia) was his eldest daughter, and was placed in the convent at the age of 13. The life there was almost unbelievably gruelling to modern sensibilities, but the letters convey how privileged and honoured she felt to be serving in this capacity. The next daughter - also placed in the convent - was a depressive, and Maria attempted in her life to combine her duties as a nun with caring for both of them. She also constantly tried to make peace between her father and her brother. There are numerous details of a simple dish she would have cooked and sent along in a basket, or a garment she would have painstakingly sewn, despite her life of extreme poverty and chronic ill-health.

The convent was in bad repair, and the nuns did not have any money. Galileo frequently helped out financially, but the nuns still had to suffer insufficient food, heating or anything approaching sanitation. Maria made light of her troubles, and Galileo was dependent on her loyalty, support and strength, saying that she had an "exquisite mind". Although his part of the conversation is missing, it can be inferred, and they were clearly devoted to one another.

Galileo was born in 1564, and pursued his dream of studying mathematics and philosophy, despite his parents' wishes that he become a doctor. He taught at the universities of Pisa and Padua, but this position seemed to confer little respect, because of the subjects he taught. However his reputation grew with his startlingly original investigations and discoveries. Eventually he secured the patronage of the Medici family. Among other things he managed to augment the power of the telescopic lens, thus enabling him to study the moon and stars, and discovered the first four of Jupiter's moons. There were further controversial scientific discoveries when he discovered sunspots. He challenged Aristotelian physics, and this angered his colleagues.

But the main tragedy of his life stems from the time when Galileo published his "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems". He had thought for a long time that Copernicus was correct in postulating that the Earth revolves around the sun, and with Galileo's mathematical skills and the scientific instruments he had invented, he was able to establish proof. Maria's letters show the wavering stages of approval and disapproval of Galileo's conclusions by the Catholic Church. At first his theories were welcomed, then seen as a challenge to the Catholic faith; the greatest threat since Martin Luther. Eventually the reigning Pope (Urban VIII) - a former friend and supporter - deemed that Galileo had to undergo a Trial by the Inquisition in 1633.

By now Galileo was in very poor health. He was charged that his work was heresy; that the motions of the heavens were for the Holy Fathers of the Church to rule on, not him. Galileo insisted throughout his gruelling trial (possibly involving torture) that he was a good Catholic, that his faith was true. Eventually he was released under a form of house arrest, but by now he was impoverished and never really recovered from the experience. The descriptions of Galileo's ordeal is set against a backdrop of bubonic plague throughout Europe, and the 30 years' war. Throughout Maria would care for him, offering constant support and prayers, cleaning and mending his clothes, preparing titbits, tonics and medicines to cheer him. She transcribed all his notes and never doubted his conclusions or faith. She died at 34 of dysentry, only months after he had sold his beloved house in Tuscany to move closer to the convent when his sentence had been commuted to house imprisonment.

I was surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. The two main characters are vividly brought to life through the description of events and the details, which are sometimes quite homely, running through the correspondence. Galileo's inventions are fascinating to read about; they are described chronologically as they occur. Both Galileo's brilliant mind and his conscience shine through this work. His struggles to reconcile his scientific findings with his Catholic beliefs are particularly well drawn and poignant, although the descriptions of his trial make for harrowing reading. Throughout there is the devotion of his daughter, who read and commented on his work, sometimes adding thoughts of her own. She was his closest ally.

The subheading of this book is "A Drama of Science, Faith and Love". It is a perfect description of the book, which itself is a fascinating read.