Philoponus, the Astrolabe and Galileo

According to Moslem propaganda, which all the huge-brains of the world, ardently believe [especially if it denigrates themselves and their own civilization, surely a sign of severe psycho-pathological problems]; Moslems invented inter-alia, the astrolabe. Sadly for the Moslem lovers, the astrolabe was known far in advance of Muhammadism's rise to fascistic pre-eminence in the Eastern Mediterranean. Another fairy tale gone bad.

“An early astrolabe was invented in the Hellenistic world in 150 BC and is often attributed to Hipparchus. A marriage of the planisphere and dioptra, the astrolabe was effectively an analog calculator capable of working out several different kinds of problems in spherical astronomy. Theon of Alexandria wrote a detailed treatise on the astrolabe, and Lewis (2001) argues that Ptolemy used an astrolabe to make the astronomical observations recorded in the Tetrabiblos.[7]

Astrolabes continued in use in the Greek-speaking world throughout the Byzantine period. About 550 AD the Christian philosopher John Philoponus wrote a treatise on the astrolabe in Greek, which is the earliest extant Greek treatise on the instrument.[8] In addition, Severus Sebokht, a bishop who lived in Mesopotamia, also wrote a treatise on the astrolabe in Syriac in the mid-7th century.”

Philoponus was one of the great scientists in history living some 70 years before the rise of Muhammadism. In fact Moslem admirers Islamicized his name, calling him Yahyah al-Nahwi [example on the National Library of Medicine site.] For Moslem lovers this proves that he was Moslem, even though he was an ardent Orthodox Christian living in Alexandria, in the century preceding Mad Muhammad.

On the site RAE.org, Dan Graves’s presents information from his book “Scientists of Faith”.

According to Graves, John Philoponus was a man who was far in advance of the age regarding science and the mechanics of motion. For instance, Philoponus:

• Anticipated Galileo’s theory of inertia by a thousand years (and Galileo spoke highly of him).

• Was the first to suggest dropping balls of unequal weight from a tower.  Galileo read and praised Philoponus.

• Influenced early Muslim thinking about science (for which Islam got credit).

• Was an ardent critic of Aristotle on key points, long before Aristotelianism was rejected [the Church never fully accepted Aristotle, see here].

• Suggested that the stars are made of the same essential matter as the earth and emit light because they burn. 

• Believed that different colors of stars are owing to differences of composition.

• Attributed to impetus the movement of celestial bodies (Aristotle said angels moved the planets) and argued for void (vacuum) between the stars. 

But remember before Plutarch, Voltaire and gabbering Gibbon, all was 'Dark'. Nothing was known. Only Islam and short fat men in periwigs saved civilization.....

Sources on Philoponus:

• Lengthy analysis of his life, times, and ideas at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy website.

• Original text from a treatise on the astrolabe (also often credited to the Muslims).

• Original text from a treatise on Aristotle’s physics, criticizing the philosopher’s view of imparted motion.

• Book review of a biography of Philoponus by John E. McKenna.