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Search for Copernicus Over
blamanj writes "Nikolaus Kopernik, aka Copernicus, father of modern heliocentric theory, was buried in Frombork Cathedral (Poland) after he died in 1543. However, the cathedral's tombs were a mess, and it was unclear exactly where he was. Archaeologists now believe they've found his remains, and are planning to do DNA testing to verify. The search began in 2004."
They want to compare Copernicus DNA with the DNA of his uncle Lukasz Watzenrode, bishop of Warmia. But first they have to find his grave. There is a catch though. They dont know where is his grave yet...
I haven't read the article, nor am I at all informed as to the specifics of this case. However, they may be able to find a relative with the same mitochondrial DNA or the same Y-chromosome as Copernicus. Both of these pass unchanged from generation to generation.
A person only inherits mitochondrial DNA from his mother. Using this principle, if we know someone who has descended entirely maternally from a common female ancestor of both him and Copernicus, we can check to see if it is Copernicus.
The same thing goes for Y-chromosomes and men. This is done surprisingly frequently with historical figures. It was done with the Thomas Jefferson/Slave thing and also with Anastasia Romanov. There is a caveat, however. You cannot distinguish between relatives, so even if it tests positive, it could be Copernicus's brother or another relative in the same genetic umbrella.
-Mark
First you animate. Then you SUSPEND!!!
>> Yes, well, we've got these bones. And we're going to test them to make sure they match with the known DNA sequence of Copernicus.
From TFA:
"The grave was in bad condition and not all remains were found, Gassowski said, adding that his team will try to find relatives of Copernicus to do more accurate DNA identification."
I imagine they're talking about finding the graves of his dead relatives, not living descendants. If you find a skeleton that you have independent reasons to believe is some particular relative of his, and the DNA from that skeleton happens to corroborate that relationship when compared to the "Copernicus" DNA, you've increased the accuracy of the Copernicus skull substantially, because the chances of the relative being misidentified AND happening to have the correct DNA relationship with the suspected Copernicus DNA is miniscule, so long as the evidence leading you to the relative's remains was unrelated to the evidence that pointed you to Copernicus' remains, and provided the remains aren't buried, for example, right next to his (if they are then you've got nothing because any group of people buried together are likely to be related).
And, not from TFA (from me):
They may also be able to examine the DNA for certain genetic features that match up with aesthetic and non-aesthetic traits that are historically known about him.
I was about to say they could also compare the DNA attributes with the aesthetic attributes of the skull, but then I slapped myself in the head for not realizing it would be self-referential since that's where the DNA came from. =)
He did a lot of research in order to present the theory.
That is only half of the truth. He actually was kind of a copy cat, citing from Sphaera mundi (among others) written by Johannes de Sacrobosco, and presenting the ideas as his own.
One of the effects of his theft-of-thoughts is the unfortunately still common opinion that people during the so-called Dark Ages believed that Earth was flat -- they did not (the notable exception being Kosmas Indikopleustes, Laktantius and Severianus of Gabala).
and auction them off on Ebay?
That's actually against eBay's policy.
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Actually, Copernicus was encouraged by the Church. Galileo's fault was that he insisted on calling those people who didn't accept his theory (purported to be fact, even though he could not prove it) morons - including the Pope. During his trial, it was repeatedly stated that the charges would be dropped if he could provide proof for his theory - but he could not. The Church also offered a middle ground - accepting heliocentrism as a hypothesis - even superior to the geocentric one - until more proof was forthcoming.
t ics/ap0138.htmll ileoAffair.html
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologe
http://www.catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Issues/Ga
Can we let this myth die?
SYS 64738
Igor Presnyakov stole my hat
What you wrote is utterly BS:
x ts/schaff-hcc8.xml?meid=20&POSTNUKESID=bbba760b5a6 8cca7df02e7322e1431f8
"Copernicus finished his work De Orbium colestium Revolutionibus in 1530, and dedicated it to the pope; but it was not published till 1543, by Osiander of Nürnberg, to whom he had given the manuscript, and who announced the discovery in the preface as a mere hypothesis. He received a copy on his death-bed at Frauenburg on the borders of Prussia and Poland.
Source: http://www.calvarydeltona.org/modules/phpbible/te
So it was Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) who accepted Copernian view - and by echancing and using a brand new (not patented) optical device (a telescope) he saw that another object in the sky (Jupiter) has moons.
And not the other way around
It is a pity that no-one checks the facts, just accepting your falsfified utterly garbage!
Plz, moderate down this liar!
Strange that no-one stands up against with name against these religious liars!
S cience/Phys/astronomers.htm
In 9th of July 1595 Johannes Kepler inscribed a geometric solid construction of universe.
Within a few months of the publication of Kepler's discovery, grounded on Copernicus work published on his death-bed, Galileo turned his telescope to the heavens, discovering 4 moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus similar to the Moons. This was the very first optical evidence of the rightess of the heliocentric view.
Copernicus, Kepler and Galilei were banned on different levels by the Holy See.
1. Copernicus published his work when ready to die - he know well that publishing earlier would be a death penalty. (Like Bruno Giardano got it, burned alive on the Flower Market in Rome a bit later)
2. Kepler published the physical solution to Copernicus theory. He was excommunicated even if he was a high priest.
3 Galilei was forced by the Inquisition to house arrest.
All these works were on the Catholic Church's "Index of banned books" (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) - valid in revised editions until 1966.
Stating it did not happened is just a simple lie.
Even Vatican addmitted indirectly their fault sometimes between 1994-7 by lifting the Latæ Sententiæ (excommunication) of Kepler.
A short resume of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo et.al:
http://www.dartfordgrammar.kent.sch.uk/Faculties/