#Isaac newton religion series#

“I asked him where he had it made, he said he made it himself, & when I asked him where he got his tools said he made them himself & laughing added if I had staid for other people to make my tools & things for me, I had never made anything…” The steep cost of genius Newton’s inventiveness is perhaps best summarized by the epigraph to Gleick’s biography, which was written by his niece’s husband in 1726: He also invented a reflecting telescope and the ridges on coins, which serve as an anti-theft measure that prevents “ coin clipping.” Like the derivative, it did not exist in the 17th century. That tool, called integration, is the second most basic function in calculus.

In order to find the area beneath a curve, another tool beyond basic algebra was needed. That tool, called the derivative, is the most basic function in calculus. For example, in order to study acceleration, the change in velocity, a tool beyond basic algebra was required. He created multiple tools that simply never existed before. Impressive as all that, what truly separates Newton from other luminaries was his unparalleled creativity. In short, he became the Dirty Harry of 17th-century London.” He leaned on the wives and mistresses of Chaloner’s crooked associates. “Acting more the grizzled sheriff than an esteemed scientist, Newton bribed crooks for information. When notorious counterfeiter William Chaloner attacked Newton’s personal integrity, he doubled down his efforts to catch him. James Gleick, author of the truly excellent biography Isaac Newton, wrote that “e wrestled with issues of unformed monetary theory and international currency.” As Master of the Mint, Newton was tasked with tracking down currency counterfeiters, which he did, as Gleick wrote, “with diligence and even ferocity.” He showed no pity in his relentless pursuit of justice.

The alchemists also discovered some elements, such as phosphorous.”įurthermore, later in life, Newton dabbled in economics. For instance, lead ore often contains silver and silver ore often contains gold, so the idea that lead ‘ripens’ into silver, and silver into gold, is certainly worth entertaining. Besides, he likely would have finished the test early and then spent the remaining time correcting errors and devising more difficult questions. Newton certainly would not have deigned to spend 90 minutes filling out ovals on a multiple choice test. IQ tests didn’t exist in the 17th Century, and if they had, Mr. What was Newton’s IQ? It’s impossible to say. Which person from history was the bodily manifestation of intelligence, knowledge, and creativity? Isaac Newton. Where society sees a dead end, a creative person sees an opportunity. Creative people think in ways in which most other people do not. He should be a polymath, in other words.įinally, there is the element of creativity. So, a truly smart person will know a lot of things, preferably about many different topics. An intelligent person capable of understanding quantum mechanics is useless to society if he is completely ignorant. The programme concludes that Newton’s secret obsession with alchemy helped him to achieve some of his greatest scientific insights.Implicit in this definition of intelligence is general knowledge. Keynes revealed that Newtown was a much more complex man than history had allowed. They remained largely hidden until 1936 when they were purchased by the economist John Maynard Keynes. After his death, his unpublished alchemical research and documents relating to his heretical views were buried to protect his reputation. His heretical religious views and his obsession with alchemy remained a closely guarded secret in his lifetime. His work put him at odds with fellow scientists and led to dark periods of isolation throughout his life.īut his genius could not be denied: he rose through the scientific ranks to become the President of the Royal Society and one of the most influential scientists in the world. From his obsessions with light and gravity, to alchemy and biblical texts, Newton held no truth, or text, so sacred that it could not be questioned.

#Isaac newton religion series#

By the age of 21, he had rejected 2,000 years of scientific orthodoxy to develop his own insights through a relentless and often dangerous, series of experiments. Sir Isaac Newton transformed how we understand the universe. In the secrecy of his study and laboratory, we find that he also delved into heretical religion, alchemy and the occult. Newton emerges as an often divisive figure, one who lived a largely solitary life. This 60-minute biography, part of the BBC’s Genius Of Invention season, reveals a much more complex figure by interviewing experts and delving into his own writings and those of his contemporaries.