When naught obstruct right line the stars.
Note that Newton even uses the exact same phrase – ‘right line’. Thus, it appears that Galileo actually stated the first universal law before Newton did. And perhaps this is stretching it a bit – the wording seems to confirm that Milton did in fact pass Galileo’s message along to Newton.”
Antonietta stared at the poem for a moment longer and then said, “So there is no way to prove that Milton passed this along to Newton?”
“I’d say it is highly unlikely that such a possibility can be proven,” Paul replied. “But perhaps it doesn’t really matter. After all, we have all of Galileo’s revelations sorted out, or at least all save one. And they in themselves are enough to forever alter our view of Galileo.”
“Save one?” she responded, “What one?”
Paul stared doubtfully at her for a moment and admitted, “Ah, right, perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned that. But, as we both know, I cannot keep anything from you, Contessa. You are my muse, my intellectual companion, indeed, without your clairvoyance, none of this would have been possible, for we would never have solved the riddle.”
She smiled distantly at his compliment, but, holding onto her thought, she asked, “And what is the missing revelation, pray tell?”
“Ah, yes,” he responded, “I suppose I must confess, I don’t exactly know the answer to that. You see, we have a date for the alignment of all of the celestial events – July 25, 2034 – but there appears to be no prediction in the poem as to the exact cause of our demise – the end of the world.”
“My, how could I have overlooked that. And such a small thing – the end of the world…” she murmured pensively.
“Right, well, I suppose we shall know soon enough, assuming we live that long!” he responded with obviously misplaced optimism. “In the meantime, we have a hint at least.”
“Oh, and what might that be?” she responded with arched brow.
“Read the first two lines of the last stanza.”
Antonietta peered at the poem, then read aloud, “The brightness shall call home the star
The journey ending from afar. What does it mean, Paulo?”
“There is no way to be certain, but if my guess is correct, the brightness means the Sun – the Sun shall call home the star. This, if my guess is correct, IS The Starry Message. I believe that, shortly before he went blind, incarcerated within Arcetri, our Galileo chanced upon a comet through the lens of his telescope. Having little else to do, he followed the path of this comet each night, carefully plotting out its path. Then, he calculated the size of the comet, and, using Kepler’s laws, he predicted the future path of the comet. If my guess is correct, he arrived at the conclusion that the Earth will be struck by a rather sizable comet on July 25, 2034.”
Realization striking her that the riddle was at last solved, she murmured, “Oh, my…”
“And to make matters worse, I’m afraid that the world may never know of Galileo’s last discovery.”
“Why?” she inquired, “We will make the poem available, as promised, won’t we?”
“Yes, of course we will,” Paul replied, “But I doubt that it will ever be solved completely by anyone but us.”
“Why? I don’t understand,” she responded in confusion.
“For the simple reason that they would need to have the two maps I stole from his telescope in the Science Museum, which would in all likelihood lead to my arrest were their whereabouts divulged to the public.”
“Oh, I see…” she replied, “Perhaps there is another way.”
Eyeing her wistfully, he responded, “I can think of none at the moment.”
She then turned her face towards his for the first time since their rescue, seemingly seeing her Professore once again, and asked pointedly, “So, you really did it. You solved the riddle. And, I have no idea how you did it, but you saved both of our lives as well.”
“Perhaps, but had you not suggested that I was in love with you, the ruse might never have worked, Contessa.”
“Ah, well, I do apologize for making up such an outrageous story, Paulo, but it did achieve its intended result. Can you forgive me for suggesting such a thing?”
At this he glared sternly at Antonietta and proffered, “Let me say this – one should not bandy about with such important issues as those of the heart, Contessa…”
“So I take it you won’t forgive me?” she queried with a sly grin.
“I didn’t say that, Contessa,” he replied, and he too was by this point smiling. “In retrospect, I think that I shall cogitate and get back to you on it.”
Obviously pleased with such well-placed prevarication, she posited, “Kudos, Professore. Now, are you going to tell me or not?”
Put off balance by her sudden change of subject, he blurted, “Tell you what?”
Her face yet again taking on a stern appearance, she asked pointedly, “Why did you do it, Professore? Why did you create a second fake poem?”
“Oh, that,” he replied with relief, and now there was even a note of hopefulness in his voice, “Well, it just seemed the perfect balance. I mean, I was thinking for some reason of Galileo’s bilancetta. Such a small thing, but the significance of a balance, of justice, of trust, somehow made me wonder what might happen if Bulgatti wasn’t trustworthy. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but my motives were honorable – to protect you, the rightful owner of the riddle.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Stronzo, you tell me, or I will punch you both in and out!” she replied, shocking him with her severe attitude.
Stammering in surprise, he responded, “But, I’ve told you everything.”
Crossing her arms, she demanded, “Where is it, you fool?”
At her final two words, he suddenly realized that she was up to her old tricks, playing at sincerity, the trap he had fallen into so many times. “I would have thought that would have been obvious, Antonietta,” he responded noncommittally.
She placed her hands on her hips and, glaring testily at him, she silently awaited his confession.
Now playing along, he inquired in mock fear, “Where would you like it to be, Contessa?”
“The only acceptable place is in my hands,” she responded in evident irritation.
“And so it is,” he said, and repeating himself, he added, “And so it is, Contessa.”
“What!” she responded and, a tiny smile suddenly spreading over her features, she exclaimed, “You didn’t!”
“Oh, but I did, I assure you, I did!” he replied. “It is right where it started - hidden within the credenza.”
At this, she waded into his awaiting embrace, murmuring as she did so, “You smart ass, you knew all the time – the only possible place you could put it that would appease me – exactly where you put it. And so you have, you idiot!”
He hugged her tenderly but, noticing a tear brimming from the corner of her eye, he reached forward and, sweeping it from her face, he murmured, "Then why the sadness, Antonietta?"
"Oh, I don't know, Paulo. It seems so unfair to our Galileo. Or maybe it's just the sadness that our quest has come to an end."
Paul smiled and responded, "Our Galileo suffered. Oh, how he suffered. But in the end, his will was enforced, and as a result all of humankind has won. We have won freedom from autocratic oppression. As monumental as Galileo’s scientific accomplishments were, and they were undeniably enormous, his greatest gift to mankind is undoubtedly freedom of thought."
Epilogue
...All knowledge of reality starts from experience and ends in it. Propositions arrived at by purely logical means are completely empty as regards reality. Because Galileo saw this, and particularly because he drummed it into the scientific world, he is the father of modern physics -- indeed, of modern science altogether.
-Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
2014
British Press Limited, London
Sunday, February 15
&
nbsp; The long lost and now famous ‘Starry Message’ attributed to Galileo was today auctioned to an anonymous bidder at Christie’s in London for the stunning price of 9,400,000 euros. Galileo followers will note that February 15 is perhaps not coincidentally the 450th anniversary of Galileo’s birth.
Readers will recall that the initial discovery of the ‘Starry Message’ was announced to the world by the Count Sandro Floridiana in 1997. Unfortunately, that document turned out to be a forgery, thereby discrediting its owner. Count Floridiana was killed shortly thereafter in a fiery automobile accident while vacationing in Sicily.
The former wife of Count Floridiana, Contessa Antonietta Floridiana, announced the discovery of a second document in 1998. Since then an international team of scientists has conclusively authenticated the document to be the last known writing of Galileo. The team has now been studying the document more or less continuously for almost sixteen years. In a report published last year by the international team, it was concluded that the hidden meaning behind the famous message is unlikely to ever be discovered unless additional documents alluded to in Galileo’s poem are found. As is well known, the poem refers to documents hidden within one or more of Galileo’s telescopes. Subsequent to the discovery of the ‘Starry Message’, a thorough search of all of Galileo’s telescopes that are extant today revealed no trace of the additional documents alluded to in the famous poem. Thus, the hidden meaning behind the ‘Starry Message’ promises to remain one of the great mysteries of our time.
In another stunning development, Contessa Floridiana stipulated that the poem must be maintained by the owner in a national museum in Italy as a part of the agreement at sale. In keeping with this requirement, officials at Christie’s report that the document will soon go on public display at the Galileo Museum of Florence, where many of Galileo’s scientific instruments, in addition to his finger, can be found today. For those who wish to visit the Galileo Museum to see the ‘Starry Message’, be advised that the discovery of the message nearly two decades ago has created so much interest in Galileo that the Galileo Museum, renamed from the Science Museum in 2010, has become the sixth most popular museum in the world. There is currently a waiting list of more than two months for those interested in visiting the museum.
2015
American Press International, Los Angeles
August 25, 2015
Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory today made the startling announcement that a large comet has been discovered in the outer reaches of the solar system. This comet is predicted to pass very near to the Earth in July of 2034. However, the team of scientists was quick to point out that the probability of such an object striking the Earth is extremely low.
Apparently, the comet was first noticed by a contributor to the world-wide Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Team. The member, whose report of the comet was made anonymously via the internet under the Italian codename Pontelegno, asked nothing more than that the comet be named after Galileo. Scientists with the team have postulated that this name was chosen because the comet has a very long orbital period, having last passed near the Sun and reached perigee in 1637, during the lifetime of Galileo.
Scientists are theorizing why the comet was not observed during its last voyage by the Sun. Comets normally are made of ice, and this is the source of the tails of comets that make them visible from Earth. However, some comets have essentially dispelled most of their ice, so that they cast little or no visible tail as they near the Sun. The scientific team has hypothesized that this may be the case with Galileo’s Comet. However, one member of the team theorized that the comet may in fact be composed at least partially of the same material as asteroids, making it much more durable and powerful on impact.
For the first nearly two hundred years since its last solar perigee the comet was moving away from the Sun, reaching deep into space, well beyond the far reaches of the solar system and far into the famous Oort Cloud. Over the past two centuries the comet has been making its way back towards the Sun. Scientists are currently attempting to focus the Hubble Telescope, which is now nearing the end of its twenty-five year journey through space, on Galileo’s Comet. According to one scientist on the team, “Galileo may soon be visible to mankind in the stars above.”
August, 2017 – Pasadena, California
Paul entered through the security door and took his seat among the assembled group, taking little heed of the numerous glances his way. Shortly thereafter, a man strode to the front of the room and announced, “Ahem, let’s get started everyone. I’m Jim Hensen, Director of JPL. I think we all know why we are here, with the possible exception of Professor Woodbridge, who has just flown in this morning. As you all know, Professor Woodbridge, together with the Contessa Antonietta Floridiana, discovered the hidden meaning lurking within Galileo’s lost message some eighteen years ago. Since that time Professor Woodbridge has been among a small group of scientists searching the heavens for the comet that Galileo observed shortly before his passing in 1642. And, as you all know, Professor Woodbridge’s vigilance has now paid off, the comet Galileo having now been observed and validated against recently discovered observations made by Galileo himself.
What we are here today to discuss is far more profound, I’m afraid - our orbital mechanics team has just within the last forty-eight hours confirmed that with an accuracy of 99.2%, our projections predict that the comet will strike the Earth on July 25, 2034. I might add that this is precisely as predicted by Galileo himself, making it the earliest validated prediction of a future event in the history of our planet.” At this pronouncement there was absolute silence within the room.
After several moments, during which the silence was not only broken, but murmurs grew to discussions, followed by cacophonous intercourse, he rejoined with, “Quiet please…quiet please!’ And, the cacophony having now abated, he added, “But not too worry, my fellow scientists, at least not just yet. Our Galileo seems to have gotten it mostly right, but not quite altogether. And here to explain is Professor Woodbridge…Professor?” And so saying, he motioned Paul to the front of the room.
Paul, somewhat taken aback by the assemblage of scientific talent before him, arose and strode timidly to the front of the room, halted momentarily and, seemingly gathering himself, commenced with, “Uhhhh, yes, well, uhm, I assume you all know the story, the story of Galileo’s lost message, so I shan’t bore you with that…” and his words drifting off, he suddenly regained his own train of thought and now recommenced with palpably enhanced self-assurance, “So, eighteen years ago I solved Galileo’s Lost Message, or at least I thought I had solved it. My solution remained to be proven. I have come to call it The Starry Message, and now you know why – because two years ago a team of JPL scientists and I rediscovered the comet originally discovered by Galileo in 1637. And here it gets quite interesting – using Kepler’s Laws Galileo was able to accurately predict the exact date of the return of the comet. And although he was not able to be certain, it appeared to him that the comet’s orbit would intersect with that of the Earth on its return from the Oort Cloud. So, sad to say, he predicted the end of the world as we know it.
“But here is the most interesting part of all, he made a mistake – a mistake that can actually be traced all the way to himself. As it turns out, modern science is going to save us from this catastrophe, and the science that will do it is the science of mechanics, a science that was originally detailed in Galileo’s last book – Two New Sciences, published in 1637, the same year that he observed the comet. What you may not know is that he also secreted a message from his villa where he was a captive to John Milton, and that message eventually made its way to one Isaac Newton, who is widely regarded as the greatest scientist of all time, he the author of Newton’s Laws of universal motion. As we now know, Newton was aided in the formulation of his laws via the message secreted to him by John Milton, and – happy to say – he subsequently published The Principia, which contains the basis for which
our anticipated rescue from the comet Galileo will be provided.
“So what I can say to you today is this – not only did Galileo predict the potentially catastrophic event that lies in our future, he can also be said to be at least in part the source of our solution. As such, we may regard Galileo as the savior of humankind in its darkest hour.” Paul now stood back from the podium and momentarily retook his seat.
Mr. Hansen now approached the podium once again and announced, “So there you have it in a nutshell, ladies and gentlemen. Ever since Dr. Woodbridge’s team discovered the comet Galileo two years ago the team here at JPL has been focused on finding a means of avoiding the impending collision with the comet Galileo, and we are here today to discuss the various solutions that are currently under study. And let me be clear about this, ladies and gentlemen, our team has determined that, with a probability of 99.999%, we are confident that we will be able to successfully alter the course of the comet so that it does not impact the Earth, and this is by-in-large due to the fact that Galileo’s poem has given us ample time, utilizing Newtonian mechanics, to affect a solution to this problem.”
Postscript
There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it is thoroughly finished yields the true glory.
-Sir Francis Drake (1540-96)
Galileo's Lost Message Page 30