discussions of his theories and was sentenced to life
imprisonment. In the history of culture, Galileo stands as a symbol of the battle against authority for freedom of inquiry. Making a number of important astronomical discoveries,
including the four moons of Jupiter, sunspots, and the myriad of stars that compose the Milky Way; In physics, he discovered the laws of falling bodies and the motions of projectiles.
Galileo's lifelong struggle to free scientific inquiry from
restriction by philosophical and theological interference is also remembered as a major contribution to the development of science.
Theme: creativity/curiosity?
?Subject: Henry Ford? ?
Detail: Henry ford, one of the most influential inventors in the history, was always inattentive in school. Once, he and a friend took a watch apart to probe the principle behind it. Angry and upset, the teacher punished him both to stay after school. Their punishment was to stay until they had fixed the watch. But the teacher did not know young ford’s genius, in ten minutes, this mechanical wizard had repaired the watch and was on this way home. It is imagination that invigorated Ford to make a through inquiry about things he did not know. He once plugged up the spout of a teapot and placed it on the fire. Then he waited to see what would happen. The water boiled and, of course, turned to steam. Since the steam had no way to escape, the teapot exploded. The explosion cracked a mirror
and broke a window. Ford’s year of curiosity and tinkering paid off, when he built his imagination of horseless carriage into reality; the history of transportation was changed forever.
Theme: Opinion
Thesis: Nothing is accepted by everyone. Subject: Darwin's Origin of Species -1859 Detail:
Charles Darwin shocked the world with his theory of evolution as proposed in Origin of Species. He explained that, over time, species adapt to their environment in order to survive and then pass along these acquired traits to future generations in a process known as \widely accepted today, the notion that species could have evolved from an entirely different species caused outrage from those believing that all living creatures were created by God.
Thesis: It is better to determine one’s own views of right and wrong than follow the crowd.
Subject: Thomas Paine & Susan B. Anthony
Detail: At the beginning of the American Revolution, the American colonies were, with hesitancy and troublesome doubts, moving toward independence. Few people favored complete independence, while other, firmly believed in conservative thoughts, wished to send more petitions and appeals to the King. At that time, Thomas Paine appeal the colonies to separate themselves from Britain and to make America one place in world where freedom and love of
humankind could flourish. His famous pamphlet, Common Sense, was outspoken, touche, pierce to the truth with a single pertinent remark. It impressed deeply upon everyone’s mind that his belief become one of the most important ideology of the American Revolution. Although I am not a feminist, I admire Susan B. Anthony for her daring to hold on to her view even being mocked cruelly by her contemporaries. A tireless civil rights worker, Anthony devoted her life to the work, which guaranteed women’s basic right, including suffrage and equal protections under law. She believed that” men and women are created equal “ and persevered unremittingly in opening doors and expanding acceptable modes of behavior for women.
In the patriarchy society of her time, people considered her unladylike and ridiculous. However, 19th Amendment to the Constitution gives women’s rights to vote, which established Susan B. Anthony as a bold revolutionary feminist in history. Examples also serve: People should take more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general.
Theme: honest
Thesis: Honest is the best policy. Subject: Watergate scandal Detail:
Watergate scandal initiated a prolonged crisis of confidence and renewed public cynicism toward a government that had systematically lied to the people and violated their civil liberties. A 1974 poll asked people how much faith they had in the executive branch of government. Only 14 percent answered “a great deal”; 43 percent said “hardly any.” Restoring credibility and respect became the primary challenge facing Nixon’s successors. Unfortunately, a new array of economic and foreign crisis would make that task doubly difficult.