Galileo DNA whaat ?

[leinad]

Maybe it's just me; but this sounds utterly ridiculous and a waste of money. Your thoughts?

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/01/20/2470283.htm?site=science&topic=space

[PeterM]

Thanks for the article, sounds like someone convinced someone to part with an astronomical amount of money in this International Year of Astronomy. As I understood it the "ears" that Galileo spotted on Saturn were just plainly do to the fact that his scopes weren't up to the task. Sounds like a waste of money to me.
PeterM

[leinad]

Yeah. I immediately thought, poor bloke has damaged his eyes staring at the Sun through his scope too much, plus average optics or glass not giving the crisper views our scopes have today.

:shrug:

[JimmyH155]

Waste of money? I should co co. :mad2:That is just stupid. What moronic halfwit thought of that? So they want to desecrate a grave just to see if they can get some DNA which will probably tell them nothing. This sort of behaviour will just bring the whole of the science of astronomy into disrepute. Sounds more like astrology to me

[Ric]

It all sounds a bit weird to me.

[JethroB76]

Sounds like a good way to get publicity for your organisation and some grant money to keep you in work.

But gee, what wonders will we uncover for science, if only we new what hereditary eye disease Galileo suffered from:rolleyes:

[Dog Star]

If they want to give me half that money they can come around and take a sample of my DNA and save a boot load of money because through my 20x80's I reckon Saturn has ears as well.
Jeez! Hope that doesn't mean that I'm gonna go blind.
Ah well. They did warn me about it when I was a young fella.:D

[JimmyH155]

dear Sirs,
please pass this on to the scientists.
I have a dead goldfish buried in my garden. This fish had bulging eyes and we thought we had better get rid of it. So I put it into the deep freeze till it was dead, then buried it. I am offering the twirps who want to dig up Galleleo the chance to get DNA from my goldfish instead so they can decide what was wrong with it. My price: $100,000 takeaway. cash:P

[Glenhuon]

Yeah, they can have mine for free too. Mum always reckoned I had Gypsy blood in me somehow, but never knew where from. Might answer a long time question.

Bill (AKA Wandering Wullie)
:)

[mabsj2]

Not a waste of many. there are lots of things we still don't know about our DNA. so this is going to be a great way to learn more about it.

[astroron]

[QUOTE=mabsj2;403655]Not a waste of many. there are lots of things we still don't know about our DNA. so this is going to be a great way to learn more about it.[/QUOTE

I presume you meant Money not Many?
Could you elaborate in what way we may learn about DNA, by exhuming Galilaios remains? that is if there is any remains:shrug:
If he was an ordinary person from that age would they be spending a large amount of Money to exhume his remains in the supposed name of science?

[leinad]

Maybe they'll solve the mysterious relationship of Galileo to his favourite pet cat ? lol
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071031172826.htm

Future research
Dr. Narfstrom predicts that the feline genome will rapidly shed new research light on a number of cat and human medical problems including virus-mediated diseases, respiratory problems, cancers, AIDS, immunity problems, muscular dystrophy, polycystic kidney disorder, and Dr. Narfstrom's research specialty, retinal eye diseases. Cats and humans share about 250 genetic diseases.

[Ric]

That's quite an interesting read Leinad.

Cheers

[gary]

A similar article appeared in today's Sydney Morning Herald, originally from the
Guardian, but also very briefly mentions the puzzle of
"Who is the woman buried beside Galileo?"
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/who-is-the-woman-buried-beside-galileo/2009/01/23/1232471590698.html

[GrahamL]

Agreed .. but aside prof galluzzis many great papers on history and
philosophy he dosn't seem to have any sort of bio online regarding DNA research and its relevant constraints .?

jethros on the money imo ;)

[bones]

Ever wondered how long a corpse can "rest in peace" before so called science wants to step in 'legally' desecrate a grave? The reason we seem to dig up old bones of people from ancient cultures in the name of science to learn more about how they lived, what they probably did, and try to confirm what we already know or 'assume' about them. Did Galileo go to the grave with the regret of the world not knowing what sent him blind? I'd be pretty sure as an assumption that he didn't. If his blindness was hereditary then I'd say his family would have had the same happen to them - any record of that? Else as already stated by others, he might have damaged his eyes looking at the sun. We know that he transformed what they belived 400 years ago about how the heavens operated, we know what he did in relation to the field of astronomy and that wasn't because he was buried with a telescope from which is concluded this man was an astronomer? How many astronomers are buried with their scopes so that someone can dig them up and come to that conclusion.

I say leave his bones alone. We know what he already did for science in his day and how it has impacted on ours today. Chances are they'll do tests that are inconclusive, his skull finishes up on public exhibition for a while before it is stolen, and then we've got another headless bunch of bones associated with a famous person in history lying in the remains of a grave that shouldn't have been disturbed in the first place.

[mabsj2]

sorry i meant Money. when you look at someones DNA, you know what they looked like or what characteristics they had. so when we look at Galileo's DNA we will know what characters he had. that ain't a waste of money!!

[JimmyH155]

YES The desecration of Galleo's grave reminds me of that fabulous song by Peter Sellers . (I quote from memory)
"They're removing grampa's grave to build a sewer
They are removing them regardless of expense.
They are shifting his remains to put down council drains, to satisfy the local residents!
CHOROUS
Oh mate, don't excavate, don't desicrate poor grampas dugout
oh Fred, although he's dead. he needs a place to rest his head!!

Now whats the use of having a religion, if once you're dead your troubles never cease
"cos some society gink wants a pipeline for his sink. They won't let poor old grampa rest in peace.
COUNCIL OFFICER
"We're removing his remaims, to lay down council drains -
you see it is the Green Belt we have to save
we are shifting his remains to put down council drains
(And we dont care a hoot about that wretched felow's grave.")"
GALLEO REST IN PEACE

[mabsj2]

Yeah, rest peace

[spearo]

good grief!
there's a sucker born everyday...in Italy
Frank

[rider]

Dava Sobel's book says it was his daughter, Sour Maria Seleste, put there by
his assistant Vivaine.

Rider

[TheDecepticon]

Isn't his hand on display somewhere? I read about it the other day. Its on display with the chair he used to give his lectures from and some other of his possessions. Couldn't they just scrape DNA from that and be happy?
This is the same thing they did in Egypt with the Pharaohs and the like. Just a bunch of grave robbers, swindlers and get rich quick merchants!! Utterly shameless.
RIP Galileo Galilei

PS Isn't it strange that it seems like we all call him by his first name, or is it his last name?

[astroron]

When are they going to dig up Elvis to get his DNA:P
When does a grave because become an archaeological site and on who's say so:shrug: