DgarOn 25th December, a child was born who would change the world forever.
Happy birthday Isaac Newton.
Kickstink@dgar one of my favorite historical quotes is by Newton:
"if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
He recognized that any achievements he made were only building on the work of previous scientists. Never forgetting this and preserving scientific process across generations is central to humanity being able to solve our biggest problems.
PassengerRemember the context in which Newton said this.
Someone pointed out that Newton's work owed a debt to that of Robert Hooke, a contemporary of Newton and his mortal enemy. (Newton had numerous mortal enemies, he was that kind of guy.)
Newton responded with the famous "shoulders of giants" line, which sounds good until you remember that Hooke was a tiny little guy, scarcely a giant, and that this was said as an attempt to brush off any debt to Hooke.
After Hooke's death, Newton disappeared his papers and destroyed the only confirmed portrait of him - he really was that petty and unpleasant.
@passenger @dgar oh, thanks for the context and history lesson :)
I was aware Newton had been regarded as a nasty/selfish character by many, so always read that quote as a possible change of heart from him, or some level of wanting redemption. It probably wasn’t, but I’m glad his work and that quote specifically are remembered as positives and inspiration to those continuing his work today.
But yes, it is important for the context to be known also. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas (or other greeting for those who prefer other greetings) to you too!
In time, I hope that all our personality flaws are forgiven and forgotten, as happened to Newton; rather than our work being erased or stolen, as happened to Hooke and Flamsteed.