A somewhat better article on this is here: http://lesswrong.com/lw/lq6/the_galileo_affair_who_was_on_the_side_of/ http://lesswrong.com/lw/lq6/the_galileo_affair

A somewhat better article on this is here: http://lesswrong.com/lw/lq6/the_galileo_affair_who_was_on_the_side_of/ http://lesswrong.com/lw/lq6/the_galileo_affair_who_was_on_th... There were also politics involved. Galileo insulted the pope and did some other controversial stuff. He wasn't persecuted for his scientific beliefs.