January 4 marks the 375th anniversary of the birth of an outstanding English scientist
The biographers did a great job - thanks to their stories, we know not only about Newton's scientific discoveries in the field of physics, astronomy, mechanics, mathematics … but also about his personal life. Here are some interesting facts about a luminary that lived in the 17th century and was much ahead of its time.
The apple tree has been a museum piece for a hundred years
Newton discovered his famous law of universal gravitation after an apple fell on his head - many know this. But was it really so?
“Rather, it’s an invention,” says the candidate of historical sciences Leonid Frolov. - Although, thanks to the memoirs of a friend and biographer of the scientist William Stuckley, the apple tree in the garden of Newton's house has been a museum exhibit for more than a hundred years and excursions were taken to it.
Newton's desk under an apple tree at the scientist's family estate in Woolsthorpe in Lincolnshire, British.
Stakley described how he and Newton drank tea under an apple tree in 1726. And Newton recalled that in the same situation he discovered the law of attraction. It was in 1666 when the University of Cambridge was closed due to the plague epidemic, and Newton left for his home in Lincolnshire.
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I was sitting in the garden under my favorite apple tree, thinking. It was then that the apple fell. Newton wondered: why is the trajectory exactly like this - towards the center of the earth? “Naturally, because he attracts him. This means that there is a force of attraction,”the biographer quoted the scientist.
But the historian Richard Wastloff doubted: they say, in 1726 Newton was already 83 years old and he could hardly clearly remember his own conclusions 60 years ago. Moreover, in his writings he presented a completely different story.
Newton composed the tale of a falling apple for his beloved niece Katerina Conduit in order to popularly expound the essence of the law. Katerina was the only one of her relatives to whom the physicist treated with special warmth, even took them into the house for education after the death of her mother. And the only woman he ever approached.
A revered descendant of Newton's apple grows in the Cambridge Botanic Gardens.
According to biographers, the scientist remained a virgin until the end of his life. And the authoritative philosopher Voltaire at that time admitted:
"In my youth, I thought that Newton owes his own successes to his own merits … Nothing of the kind: fluxions (used in solving equations - author's note) and universal gravity would be useless without this adorable niece."
Myths about cats and drafts
There are other legends as well. Allegedly, Newton made holes in the door of the house for his two cats - so that they could freely enter and exit. And his beloved dog accidentally knocked over the lamp, and the manuscript of the last work of the scientist burned down in the fire. In fact, he never kept animals.
According to another version, a doggie was involved in the trouble with the manuscripts.
Isaac Newton was twice elected to parliament from the University of Cambridge. There is an anecdote that he took the floor only once. Everyone froze, anticipating that the luminary would say something very clever. And Newton simply asked to close the window, fearing to catch a cold from the draft. So that's not true. The scientist was a conscientious parliamentarian and attended all meetings. And the story about the window was probably composed by envious people.
Defeated the counterfeiters
Several ten-year-old Newton was the keeper of the Mint, and proved himself to be a class manager. At that time, there was a serious problem in England: they did not have time to mint a batch of silver coins, as they literally disappeared from circulation. And all because the value of the coins was determined by their weight, and the swindlers came up with the idea of cutting off the edges. As a result, there were a lot of fakes, money was exported en masse abroad, settled in chests, and was melted down.
Newton re-minted all the coins, and came up with notches on the rim - the so-called herd (by the way, it is also on modern coins). It worked! The trimming of the edges is now visible. The counterfeiters were indignant and began to scribble denunciations against the "reformer". Newton showed integrity - he personally participated in the investigations, as a result, more than 100 informers were tracked down and convicted. Several leaders were even executed.
Taught Peter I reforms
Peter I visited the mint in 1698. He was there three times, but no details of his meetings with Isaac Newton have survived. But it is known that a few years later a monetary reform was carried out in Russia, very similar to the English one.
Scheduled the end of the world for 2060
Few people know that Newton was also engaged in alchemy, occultism, theology. And besides writing his famous laws, he deciphered the Bible. The 4,500-page manuscript is kept in the Jewish National Library of Jerusalem. In it, scientists discovered a kind of "Newton's last law": a prophecy about the end of the world. The scientist calculated the date mathematically, deciphering the Book of the Prophet Daniel (Old Testament). His forecast is 2060. What exactly will happen in 43 years? World war, then pestilence, because of which most of humanity will disappear. Will it come true? Thinking about it is scary, given that Newton has accurate predictions - for example, he correctly indicated the date of the emergence of the state of Israel - 1948.
Was a long-liver
Newton was born into the family of a small but successful farmer. The father died without seeing his son. And the boy was born prematurely and so weak that they did not even want to baptize him: they thought he would not last long. However, Isaac, named after his father, not only survived, but also lived a very long life for the 17th century - 84 years. Almost did not hurt, until old age he retained his thick hair and all his teeth except one.
One of the last portraits of Newton by the English painter James Thornhill. The scientist is about 70 years old on it.
As a child, he studied through a tree stump and was known as almost the worst student. And then he became the best! The coup in consciousness happened after he was severely beaten by classmates. Newton decided that since he could not physically surpass others, he would become the smartest. And what heights he reached.
He often showed absent-mindedness. Once having invited the guests, he went to the pantry for wine. There he was struck by another scientific idea. Newton rushed into the office, completely forgetting about the guests.
Became the first knight for science
Queen Anne knighted the 62-year-old scientist. Sir Newton became the first Englishman to receive the high title for scientific achievement. I got my own coat of arms and pedigree. By the way, Newton was always sure that his family dates back to the Scottish nobles of the 15th century. Historians got to the bottom of the scientist's ancestors - alas, they were poor peasants.
Newton's notebook, in which, in addition to reflections on optics, information is written about the information spent on atonement for past sins.
Isaac Newton even without a title was a cult figure in England. All London went out to bury him. Voltaire described the ceremony as follows: “First, the body was put on public display in a magnificent hearse, on the sides of which were burning huge lamps. Then he was transferred to Westminster Abbey, where he was buried among kings and prominent figures. At the head of the funeral procession was the Lord Chancellor, followed by all the royal ministers."
SPECIFICALLY
The most important discoveries
* The law of universal gravitation and three laws of mechanics, which became the basis of cassic mechanics.
* The theory of motion of celestial bodies.
* Theory of light and colors.
* Developed differential and integral calculus.
* Laid the foundations of modern physical optics
* Invented a refrigerated telescope, with the help of which many important astronomical observations and discoveries were made.
ANNA UDOVIDCHENKO