You don't have to be a physicist to know a little bit about Sir Isaac Newton - even young children hear the name, and they hear the story about how he was napping under a tree and an apple fell on his head. We'll get to that story in a minute, because the story is not always told accurately.

Newton was born in 1692 and lived until 1726. He is often considered to be one of the world's greatest and most influential scientists. It is certainly true that - at the high school level - when students study Physics, they are largely studying the system Newton developed.

But Newton wasn't just a physicist; he was also a brilliant mathematician, and students in high school and college who study Calculus are also studying the work of Newton.

In addition to all of this, Newton was also a theologian. Some of his beliefs were contrary to the prevalent church's views, but unlike many other scientists, he avoided speaking his doubts and contrary views aloud, and so did not run afoul of church leadership. Newton felt that science and faith could and should work together, and once wrote: "Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done."

Did I mention that we'd talk about the "apple" incident? The story is that Newton was sitting in a garden under a tree, taking a nap, when an apple suddenly bonked him on the head, causing him to discover gravity.

At least...that's the story...

What, you mean it's not true? Well...it's partly true. According to those who were with Newton, he was certainly not bonked on the head. He simply watched an apple fall to the ground. And so he discovered gravity.

Really? He discovered gravity? You mean, the millions of other people who had seen objects fall to the ground didn't notice gravity?

No, Newton didn't "discover" gravity. The truth is, being such a brilliant man, watching the apple fall caused Newton to begin thinking about gravity in ways that no one else had ever thought of it. And his ideas led to some of the physics of motion that we'll talk about in the next articles.

1.

What are two subjects commonly studied by high school students that Newton had a part in developing?

2.

What do you think of Newton's comment about God and science?

3.

What parts of the story that is usually told about about Newton and the apple are <i>not</i> true?