"A few months later Halley found an opportunity to visit Newton in Cambridge, and put the question to him: "What would be the curve described by planets on the supposition that gravity diminishes as the square of the distance?" Newton answered immediately, "An ellipse." Struck with joy and amazement, Halley asked him how he knew that. "Why," said Newton, "I have calculated it."
Newton's a funny guy. He can calculate things that no other person on Earth could have done, things that describe the very nature of the universe, and acts all nonchalant when people ask him about it. Furthermore, it's amazing to see how he cares so little about it, he doesn't bother telling anybody or publishing it. What scientist on the planet today would ever do such a thing? None that I know of to be sure.
Here's a haiku that I think expresses Newton
Just spending all day
Inventing some calculus
Not a big deal
Or at least something like that.
theories on nature
ReplyDeleteRecognition and fame wait
but he's so humble
Well I tried