From: psperson@old.netcom.invalid   
      
   On Fri, 9 Jan 2026 19:28:49 -0500 (EST), kludge@panix.com (Scott   
   Dorsey) wrote:   
      
   >Paul S Person   wrote:   
   >>I thought Galileo also offended by claiming that various "celestial   
   >>bodies", allegedly made of the Fifth Element, were in fact very large   
   >>rocks, made of the mundane elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water).   
   >   
   >Yes, although to be clear I don't think he actually said it was absolutely   
   >true that this was the case, he only suggested that it was a possibility.   
      
   While he was still alive.   
      
   Copernicus avoided the problem: he arranged to have his book published   
   after he died and so was beyond the reach of the Holy Office.   
      
   >Later on the idea that the heavens were made of ordinary materials and   
   >follow the same physical laws as here on earth turned out to be a huge   
   >winner for Newton.   
      
   Aristotle's Fifth Element was based on the idea that the Sun etc were   
   gods, and gods were immortal. Since he also believed that the reason   
   mundane things were not mortal (ie, everything breaks down/dies at   
   some poing) was because they were compounded of for elements, the only   
   explanation could be that they were made of a Fifth Element alone.   
      
   Aristotle was very big in Roman Catholic theology, particularly (IIRC)   
   with the time of and after Aquinas.   
      
   >Of course, another way to look at this is that we're all made up of   
   >star stuff from the heavens.  This seems a better approach personally.   
      
   We also have a lot more than 4 elements. Even if you regard "elements"   
   as quarks and leptons, there are still 3x as many.   
   --    
   "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,   
   Who evil spoke of everyone but God,   
   Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)