Talk:Galileo Galilei

Template:WP1.0

why has this page always featured on 12April?

Y has this page been featured so many times on 12 April? What is the significance of 12Apr? 12.39.210.68 (talk) 19:06, 25 August 2009 (UTC)

Lock

WTH is up with the lock? --207.177.111.34 (talk) 21:33, 25 August 2009 (UTC)

The page is semi-protected indefinitely, due to massive vandalism. Radagast3 (talk) 00:45, 26 August 2009 (UTC)

Simplicio = "simpleton"?

A recent edit has readded the apparent claim that Simplicio's name means "simpleton". The claim had been previously removed after a citation request had been in place for more than two months without being met. The original citation request is discussed here. Although the claim originally had "stupid" in place of "simpleton", the citation request still remained in place for another month after it was changed to the latter. This is ample time for editors to supply an authoritative source. I have therefore again removed the claim. Please do not readd it without supplying such a source.
—David Wilson (talk · cont) 07:43, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

That claim worried me too, because it was an oversimplification. I have added a (referenced) explanation, rewording because it no longer works as a parenthetical comment. Radagast3 (talk) 08:11, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for that. I still have my doubts, since Finocchiaro doesn't cite any references for the statement that the term "simplicio" is an Italian word, and it is not listed at all in the very comprehensive Italian dictionary (Zingarelli) I have consulted. Nevertheless, Finocchiaro is certainly an impeccable source by Wikipedia's standards, so your edit is certainly a good one.

—David Wilson (talk · cont) 08:59, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

I take your point. I'm assuming Finocchiaro knows his Italian, but the word may be obsolete, in which case I should have used the past tense. Radagast3 (talk) 09:46, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

A quick search of the Italian web sees the relationship repeated [1], but no real citable sources. I'll keep looking for more references. Radagast3 (talk) 10:02, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Your edit is properly sourced, and as you say, the word may be obsolete (or possibly a regional variation). Although Zingarelli does contain a lot of obsolete and dialect words, it's still a modern dictionary, so I doubt if it's exhaustive for 17th century Tuscan dialect.

It's not clear that the Italian page you found is claiming that "simplico" itself is an Italian word, or mererly drawing attention to the possible cognate "sempliciotto". A reasonable translation of the parenthetical remark is:

"(commentator on Aristotle, spokesman for those who maintained the immobility of the Earth, but also ... "simple minded")".

I think one could also take "sempliciotto" here to be a noun ("simpleton", "fool"), rather than an adjective, but the latter reads more smoothly to my (admittedly non-native) ear for the finer nuances of the language.

—David Wilson (talk · cont) 12:12, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for cleaning up my edits. I think the current wording is satisfactory -- the name "Simplicio" has the connotation "simpleton" (possibly via sempliciotto), and it doesn't really matter whether or not "simplicio" is a dictionary word. Radagast3 (talk) 13:40, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

Wanted to add notable students

Wanted to add notable students but cannot edit reference http://genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/id.php?id=134975 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Graemeb1967 (talk • contribs) 06:23, 11 September 2009 (UTC)

A reference to be added?

I think this is a useful and interesting reference where it discusses his life and his publication of the moons of jupiter; the original letter.

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/10/galilean-moons.html

But i'm not-wiki proficient enough to be able to add it.

Cheers. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.191.93.38 (talk) 03:35, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

Citation format

Would anyone object to replacing this:

• Favaro, Antonio (1890–1909), ed.[2]. Le Opere di Galileo Galilei, Edizione Nazionale Template:It icon. (The Works of Galileo Galilei, National Edition, 20 vols.), Florence: Barbera, 1890–1909; reprinted 1929–1939 and 1964–1966. ISBN 88-09-20881-1. Searchable online copy from the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Florence. Brief overview of Le Opere @ Finns Fine Books, [3] and here [4]

With this:

• Favaro, Antonio [5], ed. (1890–1909; reprinted 1929–1939 and 1964–1966). Le Opere di Galileo Galilei, Edizione Nazionale (in Italian). Florence: Barbera. ISBN 88-09-20881-1. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |editor-first= (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) Searchable online copy from the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Florence. Brief overview of Le Opere @ Finns Fine Books, [6] and here [7]

I think the second one is easier to work with and more consistent with the rest of the article. ---- CharlesGillingham (talk) 19:37, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

I agree that your suggested revision is preferable. I can suggest one further improvement though: replace the external link to the Italian Wikipedia's article on Favaro with a foreign wikilink specified by the editor-link parameter, thus:

• Favaro, Antonio, ed. (1890–1909; reprinted 1929–1939 and 1964–1966). Le Opere di Galileo Galilei, Edizione Nazionale (in Italian). Florence: Barbera. ISBN 88-09-20881-1. {{cite book}}: Check |editor-link= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) Searchable online copy from the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Florence. Brief overview of Le Opere @ Finns Fine Books, [8] and here [9]
  

—David Wilson (talk · cont) 22:42, 29 October 2009 (UTC)