Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) – an English physicist and mathematician, revered worldwide as the “founder of classical physics.”

Newton was born into a rural noble family. His father passed away before he was born. As a newborn, Newton was frail and weak. His mother placed more emphasis on his health than on education, only sending him to school at the age of 12. Due to his fragility, he was often bullied by his peers. In response, he devised an interesting plan for revenge: he resolved to excel academically and become the top student in class. At the age of 17, Newton enrolled at the University of Cambridge, where he began extensive studies in natural science.

At 27, he was appointed as a mathematics professor at the university. By the age of 30, he was elected as a member of the Royal Society of London and served as its president for the last 23 years of his life. He was also an honorary member of various scientific societies and academies.

His scientific achievements spanned numerous fields; he founded calculus, marking a significant milestone in the history of mathematics. His explanations regarding the colors of objects paved the way for the establishment of spectroscopy. His most immortal contribution is the three laws of motion, which provided a theoretical foundation for classical mechanics, most notably the “Law of Universal Gravitation.” This principle served as the cornerstone for numerous discoveries in physics, mechanics, and astronomy for centuries. One day, witnessing an apple fall from a tree, Newton contemplated the reasons behind the falling of objects and discovered the gravitational pull of the Earth.

Newton’s astronomical discoveries, based on the law of universal gravitation, dealt a significant blow to the authority of the church. Religious defenders reacted vehemently and with great anger to Newton’s astronomical revelations. Due to the church’s influence, many universities in Europe continued to prohibit the teaching of mechanics and topics related to Newton’s law of universal gravitation well into the 19th century.

Newton lived a solitary life and was notoriously forgetful. His absent-mindedness became legendary, leading to amusing anecdotes such as forgetting about meals, boiling clocks, and drilling holes for pets. Newton passed away at the age of 84 and was buried at Westminster Abbey, a resting place for English monarchs and great figures.

The Crafty Child.

As a child, Newton was quiet but had a keen interest in craftsmanship, frequently designing and creating intricate toys. Everyone adored his creations, especially the kites he made, which were both beautiful and capable of flying high.

One afternoon, he attached a lovely lantern to his kite and flew it into the sky, resembling a star. The villagers rushed out, thinking a comet had appeared. When they learned it was Newton’s kite, they praised him. All of Newton’s creations were unique and beautiful. He crafted a whirligig for the top of his house; after seeing a similar one in a neighboring village, he replicated it. To make it spin even without wind, he placed a mouse inside the whirligig’s cage, and when the mouse moved, the whirligig would spin continuously.

After finishing primary school, Newton even invented a “water clock.” He used a small water container with a tiny hole at the bottom, which would drip water when the plug was removed. As the water level in the container gradually decreased, a float inside would lower as well. The float would simultaneously move a pointer on a plate marked with lines, each line indicating a unit of time. Newton constructed a water clock in his room and also made one for a neighbor.

Even more interesting, Newton created a “sundial” for the villagers. At just over ten years old, he noticed that in the morning, his shadow was on his left, while in the afternoon, it fell on the opposite side. This pattern continued for several days, leading him to believe the sun moved in a predictable manner. He thought this principle could be utilized to create a more accurate sundial. Thus, he began experimenting, chasing sunlight and recording its changing position every half hour and hour. Eventually, he completed his round sundial, a device that measured time based on the sun’s shadow. He placed it in the village square for everyone to use. The villagers named it “Newton’s Clock,” which remained in use long after his passing. Each time they saw “Newton’s Clock,” they were reminded of the crafty, intelligent boy he once was.

Forgetful Newton

While Newton was dedicated to science, he was rather absent-minded in daily life, often forgetting to eat while working.

Once, Newton invited a friend over for dinner. When his friend arrived, the meal was already laid out, but Newton remained engrossed in his laboratory. Not wanting to disturb him, his friend waited patiently, eventually helping himself to a roast chicken. After finishing, he put the bones aside and dozed off in his chair. Eventually, a sweaty Newton emerged, waking his friend and apologizing; then he went to eat. Upon seeing the bones on the plate and the bowl he had used, he scratched his head and laughed:

– “Oh, so I have eaten already! I thought I hadn’t eaten!”

His friend nearby burst into laughter.

On another occasion, Newton went to the kitchen to make breakfast. He boiled a pot of water to prepare eggs. While waiting for the water to boil, he became engrossed in a scientific problem, completely forgetting about the boiling water. Soon, the water was boiling vigorously, producing a thick steam. In a moment of absent-mindedness, he tossed something from the side into the pot. Half an hour later, he suddenly remembered he was cooking: “The eggs must be done by now.” When he lifted the lid, he discovered it was not eggs but his wristwatch cooking in the pot.

On a beautiful afternoon, Newton decided to ride into the woods for an errand. He took the saddle and led his horse, but suddenly got lost in a scientific thought. Unbeknownst to him, he dropped the reins and wandered off with the saddle, deep in thought. Sometimes he bowed his head in silence, other times he raised his hand to sketch in the air, appearing quite dazed. When he reached the top of a hill, he felt exhausted and wanted to ride, but his horse had vanished without him noticing.

One autumn day, Newton sat near the fireplace pondering something. So engrossed was he that he did not notice the heat, and the right sleeve of his coat began to smoke and emit a strong odor. It wasn’t until a family member rushed in, shouting in panic, that he realized his sleeve was on fire.

Why was Newton so absent-minded? Because he was so immersed in science that he devoted everything to work, forgetting all around him. Without such a passionate research spirit, how could he have become a great scientist?

The Story of the Ripe Apple

This is an intriguing and meaningful story about the great scientist, Newton.

One autumn day, Newton sat on a chair in the garden reading, when suddenly an apple fell from a tree and “thudded” on his head. He rubbed his head and watched the ripe apple roll into a puddle. The apple sparked a deep contemplation in him.

The apple has fallen; why did it fall to the ground? Is it due to the wind? No, the vast space is open; why does it fall instead of rising to the sky? Is there something in the Earth that attracts it? All objects on Earth have weight; things thrown up ultimately fall back down. Is the weight of all things the result of the Earth’s gravitational force?

Later, Newton proposed: All objects on Earth are subject to the Earth’s gravitational pull; the moon is also affected by the Earth’s gravity, while the Earth is simultaneously attracted by the moon; the Earth is attracted to the sun, and the sun is also drawn toward the Earth. In other words, all objects in the universe exert gravitational forces on one another, and it is this gravitational force that allows the moon to orbit the Earth and the Earth to orbit the sun.

The Story of the Falling Apple Demonstrates Earth’s Gravitational Pull. Naturally, the apple also exerts a gravitational pull on the Earth, but the Earth’s attraction to the apple is stronger, causing the apple to fall. If we imagine the Moon as a giant apple, then the Earth also has a gravitational pull on it. So why doesn’t the Moon fall to the Earth? Because the Moon, being a large apple, experiences insufficient gravitational force from the Earth to make it fall; it can only orbit around the Earth. Conversely, the Earth is also a giant apple in relation to the Sun, as it orbits around the Sun.

At night, when we look up at the sky, we see countless stars twinkling, all of which exert gravitational forces on one another. This illustrates the famous law of “Universal Gravitation” by Newton.