Who Invented the Telescope

Of all the inventions used in astronomy, the telescope is the most important instrument for astronomers. Whether they use it atop a mountain in a huge observatory, or in orbit, or from a backyard observing spot, skygazers are benefitting from a great idea. So, who invented this incredible cosmic time machine? It seems like a simple idea: put lenses together to gather up light or magnify dim and distant objects. It turns out telescopes date back to the late 16th or early 17th century, and the idea floated around for a while before telescopes came into widespread use. Did Galileo Invent the Telescope? A lot of people think Galileo came up with the telescope. Its well known that he built his own, and paintings often show him looking through the sky at his own instrument. He also wrote extensively about astronomy and observations. But, it turns out he was not the telescopes inventor. He was more of an early adopter. Yet, that very usage of it prompted people to assume he invented it. Its far more likely he heard of it and thats what started him building his own. For one thing, theres a lot of evidence that spyglasses were in use by sailors, which had to come from somewhere else. By 1609, he was ready for the next step: pointing one at the sky. Thats the year he began using telescopes to observe the heavens, becoming the first astronomer to do so. His first construction magnified the view by a power of three. He quickly improved the design and ultimately achieved a 20-power magnification. With this new tool, he found mountains and craters on the moon, discovered that the Milky Way was composed of stars, and discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter. What Galileo found made him a household name. But, it also got him in a lot of hot water with the church.  For one thing, he found the moons of Jupiter. From that discovery, he deduced the planets might move around the Sun the same way those moons did around the giant planet. He also looked at Saturn and discovered its rings. His observations were welcome, but his conclusions were not. They seemed to completely contradict the rigid position held by the Church that Earth (and humans) were the center of the universe. If these other worlds were worlds in their own right, with their own moons, then their existence and motions called the Churchs teachings into question. That couldnt be allowed, so the Church punished him for his thoughts and writings. That didnt stop Galileo. He continued to observe most of his life, constructing ever-better telescopes with which to see the stars and planets.   So, its easy to see why the myth lingers that he invented the telescope, some political and some historical. However,  the real credit belongs to someone else. Who? Believe it or not, astronomy historians arent sure. Whoever did it was the first person to put lenses together in a tube to gaze at distant objects. That started a revolution in astronomy.   Just because theres not a good and clear chain of evidence pointing to the actual inventor doesnt keep people from speculating about who it was. There are some people who are credited with it, but theres no proof that any one of them was the first. However, there are some clues about the persons identity, so its worth taking a look at the candidates in this optical mystery. Was Itthe English Inventor? Many people think  that the 16th-century inventor Leonard Digges created both the reflecting and refracting telescopes. He was a well-known mathematician and surveyor as well as a great popularizer of science. His son, the famous English astronomer, Thomas Digges, posthumously published one of his fathers manuscripts, Pantometria and wrote of the telescopes used by his father. However, those arent proof that he actually did the inventing. If he did, then some political problems may have prevented Leonard from capitalizing on his invention and getting the credit for having thought of it in the first place.  If he wasnt the father of the telescope, then the mystery deepens. Or, Was Itthe Dutch Optician? In 1608, Dutch eyeglass maker, Hans Lippershey offered a new device to the government for military use. It used two glass lenses in a tube to magnify distant objects. He certainly seems to be a leading candidate for inventor of the telescope. However, Lippershey might not have been the first to think of the idea. At  least two other Dutch opticians were also working on the same concept at the time. Still, Lippershey has been credited with the telescopes invention because he, at least, applied for the patent for it first.  And, there the mystery remains, and will likely stay that way unless and until some new proof shows up that someone else put the first lenses into a tube and created the telescope. Revised and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Questions in this section Free Essays

You will have a choice of two questions in this section: Part A is the starter question, for which you are awarded a maximum of three marks. You need to explain the term, then in order to get full marks you will need to give an example: The only terms you will be asked about are the following: science, scientific benefits, ethical costs, genetic Influences, environmental Influences, cultural bias, gender bias, free will and determinism. In the second part – Part B you will be asked to either – describe, discuss or evaluate one of the following , for which there is a maximum of 22 marks – psychology as a science the balance of scientific benefits measured against ethical costs in psychology the balance of genetic and environmental influences on human behavior issues of cultural bias issues of gender bias the question of free will and determinism In respect of human behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Questions in this section or any similar topic only for you Order Now The essay needs to be In the form of an argument- a dialogue between opposing views. To get full marks your argument needs to be presented in a structured manner, clearly interpreted and analyses, you need to have range and depth of evidence, reasoned conclusion, use appropriate terms throughout. Up to 15 marks will be awarded for this (AAA). When providing evidence, the mark scheme says that these do not need to be provided in equal measure. This means that you can equal and depth range of evidence or, you can give a very wide range, but not so much depth, or discuss a couple of pieces of research in depth, but thereby not showing quite as much range.. Challenge with the view that at least some ‘levels’ of psychology are scientific, but conclude with the argument that not all psychologists think science with its monotheistic approach is an appropriate for psychology and this leads to the use of therapies which reflect this dual approach. Chemotherapy, for example, which might be thought of as the more scientific response to abnormal behavior has been shown at times to be less successful than CAB, a more person-centered and impotence of the therapist as well as the service-user’s perceptions of their competence. Psychology eclectic use of several approaches and a range of methodologies lead to the conclusion that it is in part scientific, but employs subjective strategies to explore behavior when deemed more appropriate. This has been acknowledged within the British Psychological Society with its recently founded qualitative methodological group. Use the following research to support your answer: Psychology as a Science Arguments against Psychology as a Science One of the arguments against psychology as a science is that it lacks objectivity and intro. Issues of experimenter bias and demand characteristics can compromise objectivity and validity However, disconcerting research by John et al (2012) has also found evidence to suggest that, in some instances, the research process is manipulated to suit the researcher (rather than to reveal any objective fact) further undermines Psychology status as a science. Ironically however, Psychology claim to be a science means that results which are deliberately manipulated or distorted by the researcher (through one or more of a variety of questionable research raciest) are given greater credence than they deserve because they are ‘scientific’. Trading on Psychology scientific status, the assumption is that the adulterated results are accurate and objective representations of reality. John et al (2012)g’s work involved carrying out an anonymous electronic survey about the use often questionable research practices. These included things such as the researcher failing to a report all dependent variables, collecting additional data after checking for significance, selectively reporting studies that Worked’ (I. E. Significant findings) and falsifying data. The researchers also asked participants to make estimates of the proportion of other psychologists who engaged in those practices, and the proportion likely to admit to carrying out those practices in the survey. They incorporated into their work an incentive to encourage participants to tell the truth. Some respondents were told that a larger charity donation would be made by the researchers if they answered honestly) and this did lead to a higher rate of admission amongst those given the incentive. The results were astonishing and raise important questions concerning the use of scientific method in Psychology. One in ten psychologists admitted falsifying data; the majority to selectively reporting studies (67%), not reporting all dependent variables ( 74% ); collecting data after checking for significance (71 reporting unexpected findings as expected (54%) and excluding post data post-hoc (58%). A considerable number (35%) admitted that they had doubts about the integrity of their research, with differences being found amongst disciplines within Psychology. How to cite Questions in this section, Papers

Revolution Roulette free essay sample

Its big, its huge, its a new album by the Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall. Let me get this straight people this album is yet another master piece by the band. Revolution Roulette is the name of this so totally cool album and man is it a carrier revolution for POTF or what? This album was released in Finland on 28 March 2008 and worldwide on 12 April 2008. Lead singer, Mark Saaresto, expects this to be a great success and the matter of fact is that he is right. The total length of the album is 51 minutes and 6 seconds. There are total 11 songs in this album and the only song with the album out is The ultimate fling released in 6 February 2008. The 6 minute 55 second track is second on the album and you can find the video out on POTFs official myspace. Presently POTF are touring in Switzerland ready to hit it for their new album. We will write a custom essay sample on Revolution Roulette or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Tarzan of the Apes Essay Example For Students

Tarzan of the Apes Essay When I was reading the story, Tarzan of the Apes, I realized that throughout the whole story he describes the characters very narrative. He describes specifically the characters feelings, movements and characteristics.On the following, I will write about how the author describes the characters to us readers and how it makes this story feel more realistic than what it is. The story, Tarzan of the Apes, is a very descriptive story in which the writer describes the setting very well as if the reader was there. It expresses himself so good that makes everything so realistic. An example of this is when Jane and Tarzan are in each others arm. The author describes on how Jane felt having a man with muscles who was brave and good looking. It shows how visual this setting was. When I read this I felt like if I was sitting in the jungle watching them. I think this what this writer is trying for us to do. He wants for us to use visual imagery and imagine us as if we were there at this instance. This story shows how love grows between these two human beings and how different they both are coming from two different places who change them completely of who they are. I believe this author is a great writer who likes for readers to use their imagination towards reading such as showing Tarzan becoming this a hero for Jane. Bibliography: We will write a custom essay on Tarzan of the Apes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

New Enland vs. The Chesapeake Region essays

New Enland vs. The Chesapeake Region essays The New World was a place of interest in the beginning of the 1600s, with families, single men, women all settling in either the Chesapeake region or New England. From the start, the New England and Chesapeake colonies differed, however by the 1700s the colonies two distinctly different societies formed. All the people had the same mother country; however, the purposes for their exodus to the New World were unrelated. Families in New England settled for religious freedom and men in the south seeking for riches and gold. In 1606 the men who petitioned the king to settle in the New World were divided into two companies; The Virginia Company of Plymouth and the Virginia Company of London. The Plymouth Company only lasted one winter but the Virginia Company was able to establish the first successful settlement, Jamestown. The Jamestown community lacked leadership and no government. John Smith quickly took the colony over and kept the settlers from starving. The companys reason for the expedition was to find gold. Smith summarized the thoughts of the gold seekers in Virginia in a short excerpt. The worst [among us were the gold seekers who] with their golden promises made all men their slaves in hope of recompense. There was no talk...but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold... Since no gold was found, Smith was overthrown by the king. Anarchy took over the colony as people starved and forts fell. On the other hand, when the first settlement in New England was established, from before they even stepped on land, a set of rules was made called the Mayflower Compact. Even though the first colony in Plymouth failed years before, the Separatists that landed in Plymouth had good leadership and were able to overcome the harsh winters even when they had few supplies or knowledge. As in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1636, a list of rules was given to the colonists to keep in order called the Articles of A...

International oil and gas law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International oil and gas law - Essay Example This will start by explaining the types of agreement that the government can enter into when the current term with an oil development company called Noble Oil expires and the reasons why such type of agreement could be suitable. Also, following oil discovery in Amazia, the paper will discuss how the Urbania should go about oil development in that region as well as give an advice on which company the government should work with. Finally, the paper will discuss the various types and sources of finance that are available for Urbania, considering that the country does not have adequate resources to fund oil development projects. A. What type of agreement should Urbania enter into for continued development of, and production from, the Western Plateau region, when the current concession expires? Be sure to give reasons for your recommendation. There are several fundamental agreements that can be made between the government of Urbania and Nobel Oil Company including the Joint Venture Agreem ent, concession, service contract and production sharing agreement.1 The government can decide to continue with the current concession agreement if it wants to guarantee the ownership of the oil resources of the company that will be granted the license. Technically, this ownership is enjoyed in exchange for royalty, which is usually estimated at a fixed rate on the quantity of oil produced. In some situations, the company can also enjoy tax exceptions and reduced custom duties in exchange for the extraction rights. This agreement will present Nobel Oil with a long duration of agreement with the government of Urbania, and it will be difficult for the government to include a ‘lock in’ clause such that it will be hard for any party to pull out for whichever reason. Nevertheless, this type of agreement comes with some disadvantages. For instance, a concession is a long-term agreement, which is usually faced with problems related to adjustment of financial commitments as a r esult of unexpected circumstances. 2 It will also be a disadvantage on the side of the licensed company because it will be required to pay higher amount of pre-oil discovery fee, and following the discovery of oil, the company is likely to pay very high amounts of royalties as well as income tax. The current rate of royalty is 16%, which will somewhat generate a substantial amount of revenue and hence a good reason for the government to retain concession when the current one expires. The concession contains relinquishment clauses, which could compel the Oil Company to either to discover commercial reserves; or following the discovery of commercial reserves within a certain period of time, relinquish usable portions of the concession back to Urbania government. The concession has an express work obligation of a limited period of time within which the Oil Company is expected to commence oil exploration and on discovery of commercial reserves, the company would be expected to develop o il in accordance with good oilfield practice. This means that the government will have some powers to control the activities of the oil company in a manner that ensures the company is following oil industry practices. The joint venture agreement is another option that Urbania government can put into considerations after the current

Environmental Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental Politics - Essay Example ltinational companies, carbon trading and offset organizations, and global cities that have entered this policy arena and have developed their own initiatives and approaches to addressing this [global warming] issue† (Schroeder 2009). Thus, the preventive measures against the phenomenon under consideration are being developing by global community. Global warming is a widely discussed topic. There are many scientific works, which discuss the phenomenon and its consequences. Some scientists recognize the fact of global warming, while a great part considers the issue to be a myth. The change of climate on the planet is evident, but the question is if it can be called â€Å"global warming†. Thus, the theory of global warning is rather controversial. According to the web research results, the phenomenon under consideration seems rather a myth than reality and the myths about it are created by press. Mass media creates false representation of global warming. In 1990s very few experts believed in this phenomenon. Cook argues: â€Å"scientific skepticism is healthy. In fact, science by its very nature is skeptical. Genuine skepticism means considering the full body of evidence before coming to a conclusion. However, when you take a close look at arguments expressing climate ‘skepticism’, what you often observe is cherry picking of pieces of evidence while rejecting any data that don’t fit the desired picture. This isn’t skepticism. It is ignoring facts and the science† (Cook). Many countries signed Kyoto protocol in addition to Framework Convention on Climate Change, but it did not mean that the points of it were fully accepted and followed. Framework Convention on Climate Change is the agreement signed by more than 180 countries of the world including all the countries of the former USSR and all the developed countries. The document is about the common principles of the countries’ activity on the issue of climate change. The Convention was accepted in 1992 and