Was Isaac Newton: 17 Interesting Facts about Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton was an eminent physicist, astronomer, and mathematician. He left his mark in history as the creator of the foundations of physics and natural science. During his lifetime, he discovered the law of universal gravitation, the three fundamental laws of mechanics, and also developed the "theory of light," laying the groundwork for modern optics. His contributions also include the invention of differential and integral calculus, among numerous other discoveries and studies.
Interesting Facts about Isaac Newton
● The future genius was born on January 4, 1643, into a farming family. He was born prematurely and was a sickly child. Despite this, he survived a plague epidemic and lived to be 84 years old, which was incredibly long-lived for that time.
● From childhood, Isaac was more fascinated with science than interacting with peers, constantly crafting mechanical toys like sundials, mills, and other devices. It could be said that he began his scientific journey in childhood.
● Even in school, Newton displayed numerous talents that were recognized by his teachers. His relatives tried to make him a farmer, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Under pressure from his teachers, his mother allowed Isaac to complete his schooling, and he continued his education at Cambridge.
● As a student, Newton sought to explain all natural phenomena from a scientific perspective. He became engrossed in mathematics, and by the age of 21, Isaac had already made a discovery—he derived the binomial theorem, which was named after him.
● After completing his education at the University of Cambridge, Newton worked there as a professor of mathematics. However, attendance at his lectures was extremely low.
● The legend of the apple that fell on Newton's head became widely known thanks to Voltaire. In reality, Newton observed the fall from a window, and the more prevalent version suggests there was no apple at all. The scientist systematically progressed towards discovering the law of universal gravitation, and the presence of an apple is unlikely to have any significance.
● Newton was depicted under an apple tree on the first logo of the Apple Corporation. The company abandoned this logo due to its complexity.
● Isaac Newton devoted a considerable amount of work to optics, and it was he who first divided the spectrum into 7 colors: red, yellow, orange, violet, blue, indigo, and green.
● While researching optics, Newton developed a telescope that allowed sailors to calculate the exact time based on star positions. This invention made Newton an honorary member of the Royal Society.
● Newton was elected to the House of Lords, appointed Warden of the Mint, and later its Master. In 1703, he was elected President of the Royal Society. Newton was knighted in recognition of his achievements.
● In addition to his scientific discoveries, Newton proposed putting a reeded edge on coins to prevent fraudsters from shaving small amounts of silver and gold from their edges. This reeded edge remains a tradition today. Although coins with a reeded edge are more difficult to counterfeit, this tradition is quite useful.
● Because Newton was extremely taciturn, he published many of his works only decades later, often at the insistence of acquaintances. As he said himself, such publications inevitably expand the circle of communication, which he did not desire.
● A significant portion of his work was dedicated to alchemy. However, he did not publish his research in this field. He believed in alchemy himself, although it was later recognized as pseudoscience. Approximately 10% of his personal library was devoted to alchemy.
● Some of Newton's works never saw the light of day because his laboratory caught fire. Newton himself claimed that the 20 years of work were destroyed by his dog overturning a candle.
● Isaac Newton never married and left no descendants.
● Towards the end of his life, Newton suffered a nervous breakdown and quarreled with a few friends. It is believed that mercury, which he used in his alchemical experiments, was the cause. Hair analysis in 1979 revealed elevated mercury levels. However, he never suffered from mercury poisoning symptoms, and he kept his faculties until old age.
● The distinguished scientist passed away in 1727 at the age of 84. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
