Galileo's Secret Messages

Inquisitive learner, explorer, adventurer, scientist and definitely a self defined certified geek. A friend of mine asked me recently, do you every read fiction? Just for fun? Mmmm...I guess I do sometimes but more often I tend to gravitate to learning something new.

Galileo was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution during the 1600's. He built a telescope and started making observations. He made many discoveries in the world of physics and astronomy.

Galileo sent two coded messages to German astronomer Johannes Kepler in the 17^th century to tell him about the discoveries he made with his new telescope. However, he encoded the messages in an anagram (in Latin) to Kepler who tried to decipher the messages -

'smaismrmilmepoetaleumibunenugttauiras.'

Kepler believed Mars had two moons, and tried to decipher Galileo's secret message until he finally rearranged it to say 'Salve umbisteneum geminatum Martia proles' ('Hail, twin companionship, children of Mars'), thus confirming his own prediction. 

In fact, his Italian colleague had written nothing of the kind. Galileo's secret message was 'Altissimum planetam tergeminum observavi' ('I have observed the most distant planet to have a triple form'), which related to his mistaking the rings around Saturn for moons.

Messages that we send between two people can be misfired and misinterpreted in so many ways. Emails, texting, body language, words, talking, ESP, mind mending....

If we knew how wrong we could be misunderstood - we would simplify our communication and KISS (keep it simple stupid)!

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." -Albert Einstein