103 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa and Galileo Galilei

Wonders of the World

You've seen it on a million pizza boxes, in a thousand Italian restaurants, and in photos of your Dad pretending to hold it up. It's the Leaning Tower! Why does it lean? And why is it so gracefully elegant in its leaning?

Most of this episode, however, is about the most famous person to be associated with the tower: the astronomer Galileo. Did he really drop weights from the tower? Probably not. But he did change our entire perception of the universe, and his story involves an astronomical arms race. And of course the Inquisition. You never expect the Inquisition...

We'll also talk about ragú bolognese, the classic sauce from the nearby region of Emilia-Romagna. Why pick bolognese instead of another Tuscan dish? Reasons.