E Pur Si Muove!

Hey Galileo! We haven't come that far...

Galileo walks into a bar just before last call, stands up on a stool and proclaims, "The sun will not rise tomorrow!" The bar patrons look at this man and in a chorus proclaim, "He must be mad...throw him out into the street." But Galileo persists, "It's true. Watch and you will see, the sun will not rise tomorrow." A few mutter in protest while others look around with uncertainty. Could it be true? And so a dialogue begins based largely on the speculations and prejudices of the chorus. It carries on into the night until one shouts out, "It's morning...let's go outside and we'll see who's right!" They stumble out as a crowd into the street and turn their attention to the east. Soon a waning darkness on the horizon gives way fully to tendrils of light. The sun! The chorus erupts in celebration, chastising the fool Galileo and rejoicing at the day's new dawn. Then the chorus fades into the morning light to seek out their respective homes, leaving Galileo alone in the street, his face still turned toward the sun. He bows his head, looking at his feet firmly set upon the ground, and he whispers to himself, "E pur si muove."