LG 65LM6200 65" 3D 1080p 120Hz LED HDTVGeniuses often have problems. They tend to suffer from depression more often than their less gifted colleagues, and their gifts in the rational brain are often offset by retarded social development. At the very least, they tend to be quiet, introspective, and absolutely consumed by their work. And then there's Tycho Brahe.
Though today he is known for his extraordinary contributions to science, Brahe is one of the few astronomers to be famous both in his own time and for his activities outside of research. He somehow managed to set new standards for both flamboyance and discipline, for rash action and measured hard work. This combination has earned him not only a place among the great astronomers, but as one of the historical figures most beloved by scientists themselves. Ask 10 astronomers to name their favorite astronomer, and Brahe will almost certainly be named at least a few times - as we'll see, that probably says more about the secret desires of scientists, than it does about Brahe himself.
Brahe (often pronounced brah-HEE, but traditionally brAH) came from a long line of wealthy and powerful Dutch nobles. He was the first son born to Otte Brahe, who was a powerful man and a member of the privy council to the Danish King. Tycho's uncle Jorgen had made an earlier deal with the father, however: if Otte had a son, that son would go to the childless Jorgen to be raised as his own. Otte reneged on this promise, but one year after Tycho's birth a second son was born, and Jorgen decided that the time had come. He stole the yearling Tycho and carried him back to his home. Apparently trusting Jorgen as a parent, and perhaps (correctly) hoping their son would inherit some of his uncle's wealth, Tycho's father assented to the change in parentage.
This was a less incredible happening than we might assume today, as fostering (though usually voluntary) was a common practice at the time. Tycho was still a noble of the highest order - a fact that must be remembered to fully understand his life's story. Tycho lived a life of privilege, partly material, but mostly social. The opportunities that came to him came due to his lineage.
There is little information about his early education, except that he was tutored privately and eventually progressed to the University of Copenhagen where he took a variety of courses - nobles at the time had no need of degrees, and so pursued a more holistic sort of education with little thought to completing a particular program. He showed an immediate interest in the four areas of mathematics: Arithmetic, geometry, music, and, of course, astronomy. Particularly, he was intrigued by the fact that astronomers of the day had correctly predicted the eclipse of August 21, 1560. At the age of sixteen (having finished with university, if not having graduated from it) he purchased his first astronomical measuring device: a radius.
Right away, he was dissatisfied. Like so many great scientists, Brahe's greatest strength as a researcher was an in-born need for accuracy. He created tables of observations and quickly realized that these instruments were built with too much variation, and had some fundamental design flaws as well. So, he designed his own alternative. This was the beginning of what would become his trademark: total commitment to accurate measurement. Remember that Brahe was probably the last great astronomer to work without the aid of a telescope; while Galileo worked away on magnifying the heavens, Brahe was setting about measuring them with unprecedented vigor.
Next page: Brahe loses his nose...
Post a Comment for "Giants of Science: Tycho Brahe, astronomy's most tumultuous genius"