In 1620 the famed astronomer Johannes Kepler put his research on hold, packed up his family, and moved from Austria to Germany to come to the aid of his 68-year-old mother.

Many scientists throughout history and present day have made similar maternal-inspired moves, yet not many have done so because their mother was accused of witchcraft. The aged Katharina Kepler was accused of shape-shifting into a cat, killing neighbors’ animals, poisoning a neighbor, and injuring a young girl. Johannes Kepler took control of his mother’s case and quickly got her released using powerful scientific witchcraft: rational reasoning.

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Information sources:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/21/the-astronomer-and-the-witch-johannes-kepler-mother-katharina-witch-trial
http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/the-astronomer-and-the-witch-how-kepler-saved-his-mother-from-the-stake

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By Unknown author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons