Stars in Their Eyes:

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Stars in Their Eyes

• Galileo Meets Shakespeare

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SitE GmS

• A presentation of Gloria McMillan, PIResearch
  Associate, Department of English,University of
  Arizona

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SitE GmS

• Co-PI Christopher Impey, Prof. in Department of
  Astronomy, Univ. of Arizona
• Director of Production Howard Allen
• With Coyote Moon Films, Ltd.

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How We Started
Relations between science and the humanities have
not been as friendly as they might have been...
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How We Started
The humanities has had its doubts about science
since the ancient Greeksmaybe before.
Yuck! Technéthe work of slaves!
TECHNÉ is the Greek root of technology.
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How We Started
And we knew that this nastiness between the
humanities and sciences was holding up solutions
to many pressing global problems.
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How We Started
This was in part because humanities scholars have
always viewed scientists as . . .well. . .
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How We Started
Or perhaps more like. . .you get the
picture.
Dr. Strangelove
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How We Started
Of course, scientists thought humanities
writers and teachers were just. . .fuzzy. (And
not in a good way.)
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How We Started
An impressive group of scholars rallied to this
idea.
The time had come to seek common ground!
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Our Next Moves

• We sought that bridge of mutual understanding.
  Common ground. A truce.

But where? Our mentor at the Jet Propulsion Lab,
Bill Whitney, said to look for a project
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Our Next Moves

• We thought hard. . .Galileo and Shakespeare were
  born in the same year 1564! They could have
  met (although chances are, they did not.)

1564
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Our Next Moves

• How would I have related to?

Me?
Galileo Galilei
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Our Next Moves
A script! A script! My kingdom for a script
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The Script

• Our experts and script writers knew that they
  needed to find both conflict and harmony.
• They hit on the fact that
• telescopes were on London
• docks by 1609 and
• Shakespeare could have
• used one.

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The Script

• So this bard was on my astronomical turf, but
  I, Galileo, was a great writer, as well!

You? A writer?
A founder of Italian literature!
Galileo Galilei
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The Script

• Our script goes on in much this way
  withhopefullygrowing mutual appreciation.
  (Take it easy, boys!)

You, Sirrah! What did you ever write?
Actually. . .no.
Actually. . .no.
The impudence! Have you not heard of Dialogues
on the Two Chief World Systems?
And you call yourself civilized?
Galileo Galilei
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The Book
Enough idle chatter! You have a great treasure
in your university library! My Sidereus Nuncius.
First edition.
Galileo Galilei
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The Play Books
Our script writing team will make good use of
this historic volume in the University of
ArizonasSpecial Collections. Our noble friend
need not fear.
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The Play Books
It goes without saying that my plays will feature
throughout this dramatic presentation!
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Our Consultants

• David Levy, co-script writer and chief
  consultant, Comet Discoverer and Pres. of the
  National Sharing the Sky Foundation.
• Frederick Kiefer, Prof. of English, Shakespearean
  Expert, Univ. of Arizona
• Darko Suvin, Cultural Theorist, Brecht Scholar,
  MacGill University, Emeritus
• Ewen Whitaker, co-founder Lunar and Planetary
  Laboratory, University of Arizona
• Gary Mechler, Lead Faculty, STEM Division, at
  Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona

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Our Consultants

• Maurice Finocchiaro, Distinguished professor of
  Philosophy, Emeritus, at the University of
  Nevada, Las Vegas
• R. D. (Bob) Joseph, astronomer in the Institute
  for Astronomy (IfA), the University of Hawaii,
  Manoa.
• Nick Campion, a Senior Lecturer in the Department
  of Archaeology, History and Anthropology,
  University of Wales, Lampeter .
• Frederick Kellogg, Professor Emeritus of History
  at the University of Arizona.
• Arthur J. Harris , Prof. Emeritus of English at
  Eastern Michigan University .

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SitE GmS

• Stay tuned for more fromour starry messengers.