The Leaning Tower of Pisa

At the time that Galileo arrived at the University, some debate had started up on one of Aristotles laws of nature, that heavier objects fell faster than lighter objects. Aristotles word had been accepted as gospel truth, and there had been few attempts to actually test Aristotles conclusions by actually conducting an experiment.According to legend, Galileo decided to try. He needed to be able to drop the objects from a great height. The perfect building was right at handthe Tower of Pisa, 54 meters tall. Galileo climbed up to the top of the building carrying a variety of balls of varying size and weight, and dumped them off of the top. They all landed at the base of the building at the same time (legend says that the demonstration was witnessed by a huge crowd of students and professors). Aristotle was wrong.

However, Galileo Galilei continued to behave rudely to his colleagues, not a good move for a junior member of the faculty. Men are like wine flasks, he once said to a group of students. ...look at....bottles with the handsome labels. When you taste them, they are full of air or perfume or rouge. These are bottles fit only to pee into!Not surprisingly, the University of Pisa chose not to renew Galileos contract.