Galileo Galilei. La favola dei suoni

An illustrated tale on the path of science

The "Favola dei suoni" (fable of sounds) is a famous passage from Galileo Galilei's The Assayer, a foundational work of modern scientific thought whose four hundredth anniversary of publication falls this year. In this famous passage, Galileo tells us a short story that contains a powerful and highly topical philosophical message. The protagonist of the story asks a question, "How do sounds come into being?" and, guided by curiosity and a deep spirit of observation, embarks on a journey of discovery. The protagonist's wanderings become a metaphor for the progress of science itself, which is always questioning itself, knowing that the answers found are never definitive and that the universe around us always holds new surprises.

In the comic adapted and illustrated by Spartaco Ripa, Galileo's invitation is renewed not to settle for "easy" answers and to always push our curiosity further because at the basis of scientific research there is always a spirit of adventure animated by curiosity and the desire to know. The "fable of sounds" is a metaphor for the path of science by which Galileo Galilei continues to convey his thoughts to a readership far wider than his direct interlocutors, pushing us even centuries later on the path of knowledge. This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition Celestial Splendors:observing the sky from Galileo to gravitational waves.