Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
The Human Face of Science: Mini-Exhibits
More favorite photos, with quotes, of famous scientists.
Photo A1; portrait
CREDIT: Newton's
Mathematical Principles,
courtesy AIP Emilio Segrè
The familiar story (which we have second hand) says that Newton invented his theory of gravitation upon seeing an apple drop. Imagine him sitting in an orchard where apples were dropping. In an apple orchard in autumn you will hear something like slow rain: now one falls here, now one over there. Not a bad way to picture Newton's key insight, that the earth's gravity is a field of force pervading all space, pulling things downward at every point.
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