NOVA | Newton's Dark Secrets | Library Resource Kit: Who Was Sir Isaac Newton? (2024)

IsaacNewton was one of the leading figures of the scientific revolution in theseventeenth century. Considered one of the greatest scientists who ever lived,Newton devoted his life to the study of the natural world, discovering the lawsof gravity and motion, analyzing light, and developing the mathematics ofcalculus.

Newton was born prematurely on December 25, 1642, in Woolsthorpe, England, to apoor farming family. His father had died before his birth, and he grew up inthe care of his mother and grandmother. At the age of 16, after hisstepfather's death, Newton was taken out of school to work on the family farm.However, Newton preferred to spend his time reading. So, at his uncle's urging,the family sent him back to school.

Newton arrived at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, in 1661. He learnedof the scientific revolution that had been going on in Europe through the workof Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and RenéDescartes. Newton began to question the environment around him, including thenature of matter, light, and color. At the same time, to better understand thetexts he was reading, Newton began to study mathematics in earnest, laying thefoundation for his later discoveries.

The summer after Newton graduated, in 1665, the plague was spreading inCambridge. Newton, who had returned to the family farm for the summer, stayedthere for the next two years. During this time, Newton established thefundamentals of what is now known as calculus. He also worked on the law ofuniversal gravitation and began forming his three laws of motion.

After the plague subsided in 1667, Newton returned to Cambridge, where he laterbecame the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. Some people believe that in 1669,Newton began experimenting with alchemy (amedieval philosophy that sought, among other goals, to transform base metalsinto silver or gold) with the hopes of unraveling the nature and structure ofall matter.

In 1672, Newton was elected to the Royal Society. His theories on light andcolor were published that year in the Royal Society's journal. After his workwas criticized because of possible plagiarism (a claim Newton denied), Newtonvowed that he would no longer publish scientific papers, a vow he kept for manyyears. Then, in 1687, after spending more than 20 years developing his ideas,Newton published what is generally acknowledged to be the greatest scientificbook ever written, the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. Thebook, which described Newton's theories on celestial motion and gravity,established his reputation throughout Europe as one of the greatestmathematicians and scientific thinkers of his day. He published his secondmajor work, Opticks,in 1704.

After dedicating time to public affairs, Newton died in London on March 20,1727, at the age of 84. He was the first scientist to be honored with a burialin Westminster Abbey.