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Physics... fascinating, right?

After listening to so many questions from my students over the years, I am now ready to go out in search of answers.

This summer, I will be traveling to both England and Switzerland, charting the changes in physics research in the last 400+ years!  Please follow along!


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Tomorrow I begin!  Students, here are a few maps to help you get situated:

1) England is one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom (the UK).  The other three countries are: Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  Over 53 million people live in England.  Can you find London (hint: look in the southeast corner)?:

2) London is the capital of England; over 8 million people reside in the greater-London area (for comparison, the greater-Boston area has 4.6 million residents).  Notice the Thames River, which runs through London:

3) The major neighborhoods of London.  I will be staying in South Kensington!

4) I will be riding London's version of the T--- the Underground, aka the Tube!

5) Although my trip is science-focused, I will be sure to visit many of the famous historical sights as well:

 My next post will be from the UK!

To appreciate why I am have traveled thousands of miles, students, let’s start at where this story ends: Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey- burial site of Isaac Newton

The Abbey is one of the most famous religious spots in Europe, if not the world. It is also the place where some of the most significant people in England's history are buried (including seventeen monarchs).  Over 3,000 people are buried there, and they include aristocrats, generals, writers, poets, musicians, doctors, and scientists. 

Taken as a whole, in fact, the tombs and memorials inside comprise the most significant single collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the United Kingdom.  As you can imagine, it is thus one of the major tourist attractions of London.  

The layout of the Abbey:

·      It is a stunning example of Gothic architecture and includes many characteristic Gothic features, such as pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, rose windows, and flying buttresses. 

·      The main structure was built in the 1200s.  That means it is approaching its 900^th birthday!  However, many additional pieces were added on, over several hundred years, and the last phase was completed in 1745.

·      It has been the setting for every Royal Coronation since 1066 as well as other royal occasions, including sixteen royal weddings.  It is, of course, the site of the most recent royal wedding- that of Prince William and Kate Middleton!

SO, given this illustrious history, why is a professor of physics and mathematics buried here?  What did Isaac Newton accomplish that would warrant such an honorable final resting place?

Newton died in London on March 20^th, 1727 and was buried in Westminster Abbey on March 28^th.  Here is his monument:

His monument was executed by the sculptor Michael Rysbrack (1694-1770) and was completed in 1731.

·      The monument is made of white and grey marble and supports a sarcophagus with large scroll feet and a relief panel.  The panel depicts boys using instruments related to Newton's mathematical and optical work (including the telescope and prism) and his activity as Master of the Mint.

·      Above the sarcophagus is a reclining figure of Newton, in classical costume, his right elbow resting on several books representing his great works.  They are labeled 'Divinity', 'Chronology', 'Opticks', and 'Philo. Prin. Math' (short for “Philosophia Naturalis Principia Mathematica”.  Everyone has nicknamed the book “Principia”).

·      With his left hand, Newton points to a scroll with a mathematical design shown on it, held by two standing winged boys.  The painting on this scroll had been erased or cleaned off in the early 19th century and was re-painted in 1977 from details in Newton's manuscripts.  The background is a pyramid with a celestial globe containing the signs of the Zodiac, constellations, and the path of the comet of 1680. Lastly, on top of the globe sits a figure of Astronomy leaning upon a book.

The inscription reads (in Latin):

"Here is buried Isaac Newton, Knight, who by a strength of mind almost divine, and mathematical principles peculiarly his own, explored the course and figures of the planets, the paths of comets, the tides of the sea, the dissimilarities in rays of light, and, what no other scholar has previously imagined, the properties of the colours thus produced.  Diligent, sagacious and faithful, in his expositions of nature, antiquity and the holy Scriptures, he vindicated by his philosophy the majesty of God mighty and good, and expressed the simplicity of the Gospel in his manners. Mortals rejoice that there has existed such and so great an ornament of the human race!  He was born on 25th December 1642, and died on 20th March 1726".

(Note: The date of death is given in contemporary Old Style dating, which in present dating is 1727.)

Here is a view from the front door, showing the monument in the distance (the Newton part is inside the left part of the gold structure):

Interestingly, the famous poet Alexander Pope had written an epitaph for Newton as well, but this was not allowed to be put on the monument in the Abbey.  It was to say: "Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night: God said, Let Newton be! and all was light".

He is buried under the floor, in front of the beautiful monument (and other famous scientists near him include Charles Darwin!):

The Latin inscription on it reads: Hic depositum est, quod mortale fuit Isaaci Newtoni ('Here lies that which was mortal of Isaac Newton').

As you are about to learn, when it comes to scientific achievement and our understanding of how the world works, Newton redefined it all!  And second to William Shakespeare, there is no more famous Englishman than Isaac Newton. 

He is a misunderstood genius of epic proportions, he led a solitary and contentious life full of controversies, and he left behind a body of work that we still study and marvel at today, nearly 300 years later.  This is why I have come to England to retrace his life.  Simply put, Isaac Newton stands alone.

I visited Westminster Abbey and attended a service, known as Evensong.  It is a service that is mostly sung by a choir instead of delivered by a priest.  As I sat in the beautiful cathedral, listening to the music, I thought of Isaac Newton, and wondered how he felt about this burial honor.  Surely, he was gratified and humbled by it.  However, one of the great frustrations of his life was that he could explain, more than anyone else ever had, HOW the physical motions of the Earth worked, but he could not explain WHY. 

As with all things Newton-related, you must remember the time and context in which he did such revolutionary work.  The fact that he dared to ask these types of questions themselves was unheard of in the 1600s and 1700s- religion held great power and importance in Europe.  Later in life, Newton studied more and more theology, in hopes of bringing him closer to these fundamental answers.  He had a very tortured relationship with religion throughout his life that you will learn more about later.

To learn more about Westminster Abbey's history, visit HERE!

To see the entire list of those buried in the Abbey (and biographies), visit HERE!