Galileo: Right On the Solar System, Wrong On Ice

carmendrahl writes "Famed astronomer Galileo Galilei is best known for taking on the Catholic Church by championing the idea that the Earth moves around the sun. But he also engaged in a debate with a philosopher about why ice floats on water. While his primary arguments were correct, he went too far, belittling legitimate, contradictory evidence given by his opponent, Ludovico delle Colombe. Galileo's erroneous arguments during the water debate are a useful reminder that the path to scientific enlightenment is not often direct and that even our intellectual heroes can sometimes be wrong."

Unless the subject is climate change

[Anonymous Coward]

In which case, humanity is the evil scourge of the Earth and all dissent must be silenced.

Debate with a philosopher?

[tompaulco]

Why would you debate why ice floats with a philosopher? The reason is that it is less dense. There is no philosophical reason why it floats. There is also no reason to bring wood, duck or witches into the question.

Re:Debate with a philosopher?

[Anonymous Coward]

1611 was a different place.

Re:Slashdot... redefining news.

[MiniMike]

...Now we're getting a summary about a debate that happened centuries ago...

First posted in 1611. Don't forget about the dupes in 1650, 1701, 1784, 1823, 1824, 1891, 1911, 1938, and 1992.

Re:Debate with a philosopher?

[Mitchell314]

And Europe was a different time.

Re:Right for the wrong reasons

[PortHaven]

Yes, but anyone who is making a mistake and insulting people over it = an ass.

Galileo Galilei was an ASStronomer!!!