This originally appeared on LinkedIn on July 3, 2024.
Before the age of government grants and VCs, wealthy families served as patrons to early modern men and women of science. Our knowledge of the solar system was furthered by scientists with limited means who were supported by such families. Cosimo II de’ Medici (1590-1621), the Grand Duke of Tuscany, provided Galileo (1564-1642) with room and board, and the time and monetary support for him to do his work. Such patronage was indispensable in the transformation of humans' understanding of the celestial world.
In the spring of 1605, Galileo presented a geometric and military compass with a detailed user manual to Cosimo II. Sensing the compass’s practical applications, Cosimo II appointed Galileo as his summer mathematics instructor the same year, based on his expertise on the subject.
In August of 1609, Galileo made what is now known as the Galileo Telescope. With it, Galileo discovered Jupiter’s four largest satellites, spots on the Sun, phases of Venus, and hills and valleys on the Moon. Galileo named Jupiter’s four largest moons Medicean Stars to honor his patron. When he presented his discovery, he also emphasized that Jupiter’s four moons were vital to navigation: they could be used to determine the longitude at sea if only he could document their periods accurately.
Cosimo II agreed and appointed Galileo as the philosopher and mathematician to the grand duke (himself). More than once, he explicitly acknowledged that this arrangement was to give Galileo time and resources to complete his work. True to his words, Galileo continued to work on determining the periods of Jupiter’s moons until 1619, meanwhile publishing many important works including his support of heliocentrism, which angered the church (it believed that the Earth was the center of the solar system). The Medici family supported Galileo throughout his troubled years until his death in 1642. Ferdinand II had planned to build him a lavish monument that would have been an homage to great men of science and a reflection of the unparalleled glory of a family that protected them in good and bad times. But the Pope stopped him.
Scientific patronage was prevalent in early modern history. Wealthy families realized the practical applications of scientists’ discoveries and devices and wanted their family legacy to carry on. In doing so, patrons engraved their names in the stars, claiming a coveted seat in time.
Times have changed. The desire to push the knowledge forward hasn’t. Today’s space scientists work tirelessly and think creatively to transfer the technologies they developed for everyday use: GPS, pacemakers, wearable health monitoring devices, etc., all originate from space exploration. Space is closer and more practical than you think. Today’s space device can be tomorrow’s medical device to benefit a hundred times more people, including your loved ones.
Interested in knowing more? https://lnkd.in/gmtuKBNz
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