Diary Entry 5: Limitations due to Technology

Limitations

Technology is the deciding factor of all scientific models that have been presented not only by Galileo Galilei but any model produced throughout time. The variety and basis of technology which one has present in a certain field dictates the accuracy and extent to which a certain model can be taken. The Copernican Heliocentric model which Galilei followed was simple, in fact it was too simple, in stating that everything orbited perfectly around the sun. This being the model which Galilei set to proof , and therefore believed in, brings up the question of what limitations did Galilei's model have in the time it was produced. In fact, the model has 2 limitations; one being technological and the other mathematical. 

The technological limitations being that of the only technologies available in the 17th century were a telescope which offered up to 30 x magnification (invented or adapted by Galilei) and the naked eye. The naked eye leads to a large amount of discrepancies due to the fact that planets can not be seen for a majority of the time and nor could the moon's which belong to them, but thankfully, Galilei was able to use his extensive knowledge of mechanics to create a telescope, the first telescope in fact, which greatly helped him in his study. However, this telescope heavily lacked magnification power and could not make it past Jupiter and it's moon's, yet alone the edge of our solar system. This low powered telescope also lead to discrepancies within the accuracy of the data retrieved by the study of the phases of Venus. There was also a lack of data plotting technology apart from pen and paper,

The Mathematical limitations were mostly around large amounts of human error in the processing of math along with the concept of physical mathematical not being invented or perfected. The calculations made by Galileo were often wrong and this caused discomfort within the validity of his data at the time. This lack of the development of mathematics made readings quite in accurate. 

Galileo's Drawing of the Moon's of Jupiter