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I don't know for sure, but I for one, would find it hard to believe that no-one before Galileo, noticed that a blob of convex glass magnifies an image.
What he demonstrated successfully, was what he could do with it.
There were many, many other things this guy did, and revealed for us.
Using terms like 'conman' and 'plagiarist', sounds very much like imposing modern day concepts and values upon someone who actually made a difference in shaping the world we live in.
He also faced up to The Inquisition, resulting in censorship of his work and being put on trial for heresy, because of his championing of Copernicus' Heliocentric model.
These are achievements made during his lifetime, and stand as major achievements for humanity, overall.
In-arrears judgements, made some 380 years later, based on today's values, would seem to be a little harsh.
My 2 cents worth.
Cheers
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