Galileo, the most common name used for Italian scientist Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (1564-1642). Galileo was a founding figure in what would become modern astronomy and physics, using experiments and mathematics to test the laws of nature. His work was an important predecessor to Isaac Newton, and a popular legend from a biographer claimed that he tested the laws of velocity by dropping two objects from the Tower of Pisa. In astronomy, Galileo developed an early telescope to observe stars and other bodies in space, and he defended Nicolaus Copernicus' theory of the Earth revolving around the Sun.
Despite the lyrics of "Bohemian Rhapsody," Galileo was in no way connected to Figaro.
References
- Baby Fozzie plays Fozzieleo in the seventh season Muppet Babies episode "The Muppet of Invention." Fozzieleo has invented a telescope, but while Baby Gonzo suggests using it to gaze at stars and far away objects, Fozzie's intended use was simply to leave a black ring around the viewer's eye.
- A proposed arc for the Roger Langridge Muppet Show Comic Book series would have involved literary and historical guest stars, including Galileo.[1]
- An animated Dr. Teeth played Galileo in the Muppets Now episode "Getting Testy," in the Muppet Labs segment on velocity, recreating the Tower of Pisa legend.