#1

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!

#2

Now that you know where the story ends, let’s go back to the beginning, shall we?

Isaac Newton's birthplace outside of Grantham, England.  Yes, I brought an apple:

That beginning, on Christmas Day 1642, was in a small village near Grantham, England.  Grantham is about 100 miles north of London and easily accessible today by train from London.  Back then, of course, it was a much more isolated place; traveling to London, by horse, would take over three days! 

I, however, simply traveled by foot, tube (aka the “subway” to those here in the States) and commuter rail to Grantham in under 2 hours!  I left from the famous Kings Cross train station in Northeast London; think of it as the their version of North Station, perhaps.  The station is undergoing a major overhaul and modernization, and as you can see, it is certainly paying off!

Across the street, students, is St. Pancras station, where one can take one of the more famous train rides in the world- from London to Paris, in an underwater tunnel across the English Channel- known as the Chunnel!  This high-speed train connects England to mainland Europe; the train travels 186mph and the trip only takes 2.25hrs!  What do you think Newton would think of such amazing travel capabilities?

As my train sped through the English countryside, I became more and more excited to see Newton’s childhood home.  The house is protected and overseen by the National Trust; just as the National Park Service maintains houses of historical importance in the United States, the National Trust does in the UK. 

Many scientists have made pilgrimages to see Newton’s home-- called Woolsthorpe Manor.  In fact, Albert Einstein is said to have visited multiple times!  It seemed appropriate to carry one item in particular on this journey… do you know why?

Once I got to Grantham, I found a taxi to take me the final 8 miles to Woolsthorpe.  My driver, Malcolm, made sure to point out to me how close we were to Boston, England!  Interestingly, many of the original pilgrims came from Boston!

Here is the entrance to Woolsthorpe:

My first stop was to see some of the exhibitions in the science center, highlighting Newton’s work with pendulums, prisms, colored light, acceleration downs ramps, gravity tests, and orbital diameters and speeds.  You will learn much more this fall, students.

Here, colored lights were used to show Newton's famous study of optics:

An air hockey table was used to demonstrate Newton's Three Laws of Motion:

We will do a similar experiment to mimic how Newton tried to measure acceleration downs ramps of different inclines:

And lastly, this wonderful contraption was built by a high school physics teacher who happened to be there to demo it for guests!  I have a great video, students, of him demonstrating its full capabilities.  It is not a Newton's cradle, although it may remind you of one!  The idea is the same, though; it is used to demonstrate forces:

After such a busy morning, I enjoyed lunch in the courtyard.  I thought of Newton playing here as a young boy:

Next, onto his house!  Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take pictures inside; most of the original furniture is lost, and the borrowed furniture is from many different historical organizations, and not all of those organizations allow photos to be taken.  Here I am:

So, how did this home enter Newton’s family to begin with?  Newton’s grandfather Robert was a successful sheep farmer who bought the property in 1623.  This purchase brought with it the title “Lord of the Manor”, and this was an important step up in social status.  Newton’s father (also named Isaac) used this property to marry above his social standing.  When he married Hannah Ayscough, a member of a local minor gentry family, in 1639, this house and the surrounding land was given to them as part of the marriage dowry.  Unfortunately, Isaac Sr., fell ill and died a mere 6 months after being married.  Hannah was already pregnant with their first child- Isaac!

Isaac was born prematurely on Christmas Day 1642; he was considered so small and weak that he was not expected to last through the night!  Of course… he survived… and even lived until the ripe old age of 84!  And that is just one example of the many ways Newton surprised those around him.  

As I stood in the room he was born in (look at the left window on the 2^nd floor), I tried to imagine what it must have been like on that cold winter night and how Hannah had no idea she had just given birth to a child that would change history forever.

Newton and his mother lived at Woolsthorpe until Newton was 3 yrs. old.  Then, his mother received an offer of marriage from the 63 yr. old Reverend Barnabus Smith in nearby North Witham, a village about a mile away.  And so, in an interesting twist, she remarried, but left young Newton to live with her parents at Woolsthorpe!  As it was explained to me, this was a tactic to ensure that Isaac would not lose his right to inherit the house and surrounding lands.  However, it is also said that it may have happened because Rev. Smith was unenthusiastic about young Isaac.  It is unclear how often Newton saw his mother in the next 9 years. 

By all accounts, Isaac was a precocious and solitary child, and he had a great imagination.  Apparently, he did not do a good job completing his farming chores because he was more focused on his experiments!  Looking around the extensive grounds, I imagined that he must have had great fun exploring!  There are records of him making sketches on the walls, studying shadows, designing windmills, and building sundials, for example!

When Isaac was 12, however, his mother moved back home, because her second husband had died.  She brought with her three new half-siblings--- one boy and two girls.  This must have been quite a transition for Newton, especially for a child so used to being alone with his thoughts.

So far, Isaac had not had any formal schooling.  It is said that his father could not even write his own name.  His uncle, however, saw great potential in him, and pressured his mother to send him into nearby Grantham to go to school.  Hannah resisted because she thought he had not need for a formal education if he was simply going to take over the family farm.  Luckily, for all of us, Newton’s uncle won that argument and Isaac went off to study at King’s School in 1655.   In my next entry, you will learn about my visit to his school!

And later on in this blog, we will return to Woolsthorpe, to discuss the magical period from 1665-1666, when Newton returned home as a young college man, to hide from the spreading… and deadly… plague.  It was during this time, that he began his most fundamental work- and that will include the REAL story behind the apple falling from a tree at Woolsthorpe and his “discovery” of gravity!

Here is the famous apple tree:

Part 2

It is now 1654.  Imagine Isaac Newton as your age, students!  He has been living a solitary life, on his family’s farm, with only his grandparents, hired farmhands, and animals as his companions.  Most recently, his mother and his three half-siblings have returned, and they all begin living together for the very first time.  He is, by all accounts, very forgetful when it comes to completing his chores around the manor, and his mother is very frustrated with his behavior.

Yet, in a lucky twist, his paternal uncle knows the headmaster of a local school, Grammar School (now called The King’s School), and finally convinces his mother he has the intellect and capabilities that would benefit from formal schooling.  And so, Isaac goes off for the first time to live alone in the town of Grantham, 8 miles north.

I again boarded the train from London to spend a day in Grantham.  My goal: to stand in Isaac Newton’s classroom!  Just as new 7^th graders begin their O’Bryant experience each year in my classroom, I wanted to see how Isaac began his in Grantham.

After arriving in Grantham, I walked down the street and headed into town.  I knew I was in the right place when I saw this:

Grantham is a town of about 30,000 residents, and I enjoyed looking in the windows of shops and restaurants as I headed into town.  In the town square, I came across this dining and drinking establishment:

I wonder what Isaac would think of this honor today!

As I continued, I was in search of something that would alert me to the location of the rooming house where Isaac lived during the school week.  I knew it was next to the George Hotel, but I also knew the hotel was long gone.  So, how would I find it?

 Luckily, wandering pays off.  It turns out that other famous Englishmen stayed in the George Hotel, and so there were plaques in this shopping promenade marking the hotel’s former location:

There, in fact, was a small display showing a photo of the old George Hotel:

All that was left was for me to determine on which side of the hotel Isaac’s rooming house had been located!  So, I went into a few stores and asked.  No one knew.  Eventually, a local showed me that the building actually faces two different streets and there was a plaque marking the spot on the opposite side of the building.  I made it extra-large for you to read:

Can you spot the plaque?

So, here is what we actually know about Isaac’s time living there: He moved into William Clark's house in 1655 and stayed until 1660.  He did briefly move home, when he was 17, and his mother tried one last time to force him into life as a farmer, but he only lasted 9 months and then he was back to finish his studies.

While living with Mr. Clark, it was quite crowded!  Mr. Clarke had two children from his first marriage (Joseph and William), four additional step-children from a second marriage (Anne, Catherine, Edward, and Arthur), AND two new children from his second marriage (John and Martha).  It appears that Isaac did not get along well with the boys and preferred to spend what little time he did spend playing, with the girls.  He may have even made the girls doll's furniture!  One of the girls, Catherine, described his as a "sober, silent, thinking lad".  She even made note of having had an unrequited crush on him in their later teen years!

Mr. Clarke was an apothecary, which is similar to a pharmacist today.  The only notable difference is that in addition to selling medicine, apothecaries also made medicines.  There are some who think that growing up in this environment may have influenced Isaac's interest in chemistry and alchemy later in life.  There is also evidence that he made small windmills, lanterns, and sundials, and many sketches for other instruments while living with Mr. Clark.

I continued on, simply following the signs in town:

Here is what The King's School looks like today:

It is a boys school, and similar to the O’Bryant, boys are admitted based on entrance exam scores.  The British educational system is very different from our system in the U.S., and you will learn a bit more about it this fall.

With great luck, the school not only agreed to let me come and visit the room Newton studied in, but I was able to time my visit to coincide with the annual “Newton Lecture”.  This year, the speaker was Scott Mandelbrote- the co-founder of the appropriately called “Newton Project”, which is based at both Cambridge and the University of Sussex!  The Newton Project is a non-profit organization, started in 1998, dedicated to publishing in full an online edition of Newton's writings- over 5.5 million words are online so far!  The title of the lecture was: "The Impact of Newton".   He was introduced by the "Top Boy", which is our equivalent of the Senior Class President.  I enjoyed it thoroughly (and you will see many of Newton's notes and manuscripts both later in the blog and later this school year).

To learn more about The Newton Project, visit HERE.

FINALLY... here is the original room where Newton studied!  After a recent fundraising effort, the roof was replaced; the day of my visit was both the occasion of the Newton Lecture and the official unveiling.  It will be used in the future to host school assemblies and presentations:

When Newton was at school, the curriculum consisted mostly of Latin and Greek, with some Mathematics thrown in.  It appears that Newton was bored, did not try hard, and scored at the bottom of his class.  Until, one day, the story goes, when everything changed.  Newton had been a victim of bulling while at school, but on this one day, he chose to challenge the bully to a fight in the nearby churchyard.  Although Isaac was smaller, he won, but he was not content to just beat him physically- he decided he wanted to beat him intellectually as well!  And so, he directed his anger into his school work and soon rose to being the best pupil in the school!

To learn more about the fundraising effort, and to read many more details on Newton's life at school and in Grantham, visit HERE!

After the lecture, there was one more last treat in store for me- the Grantham Historical Society was unveiling this plaque on the original school house!

After the unveiling, I was welcomed to a reception.  Next to the reception room, there was not only bust of Newton on display, but a framed copy of his ENTIRE family tree!  Perhaps one of you will have a similar display at the O’Bryant in the not-so-distant future?

It was a great opportunity, to say the least.  My sincere thanks to Ms. Orrey, assistant to the Headmaster, for coordinating my visit.  To learn more about The King's School, visit HERE.

Here I am outside the original school house:

I will leave you with one last image.  Newton carved his name into the windowsill on the schoolhouse.  I do not encourage you to do this in my classroom, students, unless you can assure me you are going to be just as accomplished and famous!

#3

The story continues.  Isaac is now a late teen, ready to head on to university.  His paternal uncle, the same one who championed his case to attend Grammar School, now pushes for his alma mater- the University of Cambridge.  His mother, Hannah, agrees, but will only cover his tuition, so he has to become a sizar (an assistant to his tutor) in order to make spending money.

On a gloriously sunny day, I headed off to Cambridge, again by train, from London.  Trains runs almost every 15 minutes; the journey itself takes 45 minutes.  As I settled in, I thought of how a country boy like Isaac must have felt heading to one of the renowned universities of the world.  Was he nervous?  Lonely?  Excited?

Here is a quick sampling of some of the amazing architecture at Cambridge.  It looks just a little bit different from the O'Bryant:

If you'd like to see the entire campus, view the map HERE.

If you'd like to see a collection of University photos on Flickr, click HERE.

There could be an entire blog written about Cambridge alone.  But, instead, here are the basics:

·      There are 18,000 students

·      There are 31 Colleges

·      There are 150 Departments, Faculties, Schools and other institutions

·      The first students were admitted in 1209!

·      The earliest residential college dates from 1284!

·      There are 9 museums on campus (including the Whipple Museum of the History of Science) and they hold over 5 million artifacts!

Newton enrolled in Trinity College; he lived there, ate there, and took most of his classes there.  And so, with my trusty map in hand, to Trinity I headed!  Here I am:

I had a few goals in mind- I wanted to see the rooms where Newton lived, the apple tree that was planted there (descended from the original tree at Woolsthorpe) in the 1950s in honor him, his statue in the Chapel, and the library where he studied.

Now interestingly, one can visit each college at Cambridge, but you have to pay an admission fee ($5 each)!  It is open and free, of course, for the students who live there and the faculty and university staff.  It would be pretty odd to have to pay $5 to access your own dorm each night to go to sleep!  So, I saw many signs such as these:

Since it is summer session, the campus is relatively quiet.  I would like to go back and see it in session; I would like to ask the students if they get used to hoards of tourists snapping pictures of them when all they want to do is get to class on time! 

First, Newton's living quarters:

Yes- that is also the apple tree planted in his honor in the 1950s!

Newton enrolled  in June 1661 at age 18- two years older than the average student.  Interestingly, these were his quarters both as a student and when he returned as a professor.  Thus, he lived in these rooms for over 30 years!  The room is still given to students today.  So, although I was sad to be unable to visit it, I did like the idea of a student living and studying there today in 2013!

He lived on the second floor- his two windows are behind the tree.  There was once a wooden shed (to the right of the apple tree) where he worked on his alchemy experiments.  In class, I will go into more detail on both his time as a student and his time there as a professor.

Newton's traditional studies followed the teachings of Aristotle, but the more he learned and read, the more he rejected those ideas and began to support scientists such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and mathematician Descartes.  You will learn more about these men in class.

Next up, the Chapel, and Newton's statue.  All of the names behind him are to honor the Trinity graduates that died in WWI:

Here is the actual chapel, where I sat and enjoy a lovely organist's performance:

The security guards decided I looked harmless enough, so they allowed me cut through the interior courtyard to get to the library entrance instead of walking around the long way as tourists are required to do.  So, I snapped a few pictures as I went though.

This is the beautiful dining hall:

This is the courtyard and student living quarters:

The library is only open to 15 visitors at a time and for 2 hrs/day.  Luckily, I was there at the proper time!  Since Newton's actual living quarters are not open to the public (and are, in fact, still used for student housing today), I figured I could satisfy my curiosity by seeing the campus location where he spent the second most amount of time:

Here is the line to get into the library.  I met a lovely retired couple from Colorado in line; one of them was a retired high school math teacher.  They were spending 18 months driving and camping through Europe!

Here is a view of the library from the outside.  Sadly, you are not allowed to take any pictures inside.  I will say that it was very formal- there were many, many old books, and many marble busts of famous Trinity graduates.  There was a display case that had several of Newton's items: one of his pocket watches, his walking stick, copies of his two most famous books, "Principia" and "Optiks", and a few of his notebooks.

I also got to see the original manuscript of another famous Trinity grad's displayed- A.A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh"!

Professors who lived at Trinity were given a little side "nook" area in the library where they basically had a mini-office.  They could leave their papers and books out and about and come and go as they pleased.  When Newton became a professor, he was given the last nook; here is the window:

 After all this excitement, I head out the back door of the library- to the river- to relax:

These, students, are the famous punters.  A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square bow.  The punter pushes against the bottom of a shallow river with a pole to propel it along (a gondola uses an oar).

For the grand finale to my Cambridge visit, I headed to an appointment at the University Library, which contains the largest collection of Newton’s papers on Earth!  There has been a tremendous effort underway in the last several years, at a cost in the millions of dollars, to digitize Newton’s papers.  The quality is fantastic.  Literally, anyone in the world with access to the internet can see them in beautiful detail.  Here is the link: Cambridge Digital Library and Newton Papers

That being said, I wanted to hold some examples in my own hands after having traveled all this way!  And so, I contacted Adam Perkins, Curator of Scientific Manuscripts, told him how I was doing this research of behalf of my O’Bryant students, and asked for special permission. 

Here is the very imposing library: 

After running it by the powers-that-be, filling out special paperwork, being issued an “outside researcher” library card for the day, and locking up all of my personal possessions, save some notepaper and a pencil, I was allowed into a special room to view 3 items I had requested, as well as some bonus items that Adam had chosen for me.  It was one of the true highlights of the trip; I am very grateful for the special access!  You will see them soon...

I thought you would appreciate these blue lockers, students, because they remind me of the O'Bryant!  We should definitely get these; you can set your own 4-digit passcode on the electronic keypad and will never have to deal with a cranky combination lock ever again!

Here is my special-issued "visiting researcher" library card:

Once you put your bags and jackets in a locker, you get to carry your laptop, pens, and other studying materials in a fun clear bag.  It kind of made me feel like everyone was at the mall instead of being in a library!

In my next post, you will hear (and see) all about the Newton items I was lucky enough to hold!

 (This is a sample- it is from an early draft of his famous book Principia)





Part 2

It is now 1665 in our story of Isaac Newton’s life.  He is at Cambridge, continuing his studies, when a health emergency of epic proportions derails his plans- the return of the Bubonic Plague.

This was not the Black Death of 1348-50 (which killed 75-200 million people in Europe), but it was still bad news for those in England.  In the course of the plague’s destruction, 80,000 people died in London alone this time around- approximately 15% of the city's population.

And so, Isaac heads back to the rural isolation and safety of Woolsthorpe Manor to hunker down until the plague is past.  When I toured Woolsthorpe, I learned that Isaac’s room was the window on the top right side of the house when he returned:

As you know, Isaac seemed to thrive on isolation.  With his return, he reverted to his hometime routines- chiefly wandering, thinking, and reading in the outside grounds or tucked away inside his room, often in the pitch black, conducting optical experiments.  This year at Woolsthorpe is referred to by scientists and historians as his annus mirablis (miracle year) because this was the year in which he formulated much of his most profound work and changed the course of science forever!

His first major achievement: the development of calculus.  Newton had already made significant mathematical contributions; he had worked out the Binomial Theorem for fractions as an undergraduate at Cambridge, for example.  Calculus, however, was a matter of much more complexity.  The basic notion of calculus was discovered by the ancient Greeks.  Newton’s innovation was to introduce the notion of time into calculations measuring rates of change, and with that, differential calculus was born. 

In class, you will learn about his decades-long feud with a German mathematician named Gottfried von Leibniz, who developed parts of calculus independently during the same timeframe.  It was a bitter dispute, and it lasted for decades of their lives.  It is probably most fair to say that both men developed different parts of it.

  

 Gottfried von Leibniz

Next up: GRAVITY!  According to the famous story from Newton’s early biographer, “he told me… the notion of gravitation came into his mind… occasion’d by the falloff an apple, as he sat  in contemplative mood”.  So, here I am, with my own apple, in a contemplative mood of my own, beside that exact spot:

Newton’s genius was to put Galileo’s experimental findings and Kepler’s Laws of Motion together in order to develop his Theory of Universal Gravitation.  You will learn much more about these two important astronomers in class!  For example, Kepler’s laws may have explained the hows of Earth and planetary motion, but Newton explained the why.

Nevertheless, Newton did not publish his work on gravity for another 20 years.  It took a long time for him to refine his ideas, make tests, and devise new calculations to support his work.  Even geniuses need to put in the hard work to support their claims with evidence!

They also remained unpublished because of Newton’s chief character fault- he was often accused of being secretive by fellow scientists.  This poor attitude of his was borne out of the fact that he could not stand to be questioned and contradicted by others.  There have been many books written on the study of Newton's odd, angry, and vindictive personality.  He was not one to make many friendships and lasting connections.  He never wed or had children.  Some suspect he may have suffered from a form of autism.  You will learn more about his personality in class and how that influenced his work with others.

Nevertheless, his work to name and sort out this mysterious force of gravity was a watershed moment in science because it brought forth a profound idea: things that happened in the Universe could be explained by mathematics.  Forces and motions can be measured, calculated, and predicted based on universal properties.

This is one of the cornerstones of modern science today; all scientists use mathematical skills to analyze their data, make calculations, create computer models, evaluate inconsistencies, and more.  Science and math are inextricably linked- which is why our school, of course, is the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science!

Newton’s work on gravity and his Three Laws of Motion were eventually published in his famous work Principia.  I was very lucky and got to hold and read through an early copy of it at The Royal Society in London; you will see that in a later post!  You will be creating experiments about his Three Laws of Motion in class as well!

Here are the Three Laws displayed at the museum next to Newton's house:

The last great product of the annus mirablis: Newton’s work on optics.  Previously, people thought that color was created from a mixture of light and darkness.  Newton did not see any experimental evidence to support this.  After countless experiments in his dark bedroom with prisms, Newton saw that white daylight was split into distinct colors.  These colors were produced because different parts of the light were refracted (bent by the glass prism) different amounts.

Here I am shining a light through a prism at Woolsthorpe to see the spectrum of colors:

He continued on- testing rainbows and beams of colored light through his prisms.  His conclusion: white light was made up of a combination of colors from the spectrum.  Here are some of the optics experiments I tried at the museum exhibits next to his house:

The individual colors...

 Can also combine back into white light!

Eventually, well, 40 years later, Newton’s work with light would be published as his second most famous book- Optiks (spelled that way in Old English).  I was very lucky and got to hold and read through an early copy of it at The Royal Society in London; you will see that in a later post... but here is a quick look!

If you are interested in learning more about optics experiments you can do with the prism in my classroom- possibly as your Science Fair experiment!

In 1667, it was judged safe to return to Cambridge, and so Isaac leaves his childhood home.  It is the last significant period time he will ever spend there.  Our next post will explore the 20+ years he spent at Cambridge teaching, experimenting, writing, and more.

                                                                                    Part 2

Once the Plague was safely passed, Newton left Woolsthorpe and headed back to Cambridge.  He received his Master of Arts degree and was elected a Fellow of Trinity College in 1667.  Only two years later, he succeeded his mentor, Isaac Barrow, as Lucesian Professor of Mathematics.

 Isaac Barrow

Barrow was somewhat of a father figure to Isaac.  They both enjoyed working long hours and slept little.  They were both religious men with keen minds for mathematics.  Barrow recognized Isaac’s genius before most.  And, most helpfully, Barrow arranged for Isaac to be exempted from the rule requiring new faculty to also become members of the clergy.  He recognized Isaac’s unconventional and complicated ideas on religion would bar his ascension to professor and fought on his behalf.

Now, it must be mentioned that Newton may have been a prolific researcher, but he was not a prolific teacher.  He was required to deliver a small number of public lectures each term.  He was a poor public speaker and often ill-prepared with his notes.  He would often lecture to nearly empty halls!

In 1668, Newton’s telescope (p .58)

As promised, here are some of the documents from the Newton Collection that I got to hold and read through at Cambridge Library:

First off:

Second:

Third:

And now, the BONUS ITEMS.  And what a bonus they were!

On the train ride home, I thought a lot about my spectacular day- I held Isaac's actual notebooks!!!  I saw the places he scratched out his ideas!  I saw diagrams, drawings, and other interesting figures.  It had been so exciting and I was so grateful to the staff at Cambridge.

Newton’s telescope brought him much acclaim, and soon The Royal Society took notice.  He made a larger version of his telescope and Barrow brought it to London to show them.  They were so impressed that they elected Newton a member of the Society in 1672.

Now, what exactly, does an institution called The Royal Society have to do with science?  In fact, quite a lot!  It was the center in England for brilliant minds to mix and mingle.  There were lectures, social functions, and meetings there of all sorts, and to be invited to join was quite an honor.  As it still is today…

Here is the headquarters of The Royal Society today in downtown London.  I paid a visit there to see some of their Newton holdings and to hear about Newton’s time as President of the Society from 1703 until his death in 1727.

Here is the library where researchers can come to take out material relating to members.  I met with a lovely young librarian who had recently graduated from college and was happy to report that working in such a special place as her first job was a dream come true.  

In order to see an artifact, I would fill out a form and the item would be retrieved from the basement vaults:

I had come to see many items.  Let’s start with his famous book Optiks:

Here are some of the wonderful diagrams included inside:

Here is an interesting keepsake- a lock of Newton’s hair.  It got me thinking about the other famous members of The Royal Society and wondering if the vaults under the building contained lots of samples of hair form famous dead members!

Here the register of newly-elected members to the Royal Society from 1672:

Here is a copy of Newton’s signature in that register:

And here is a copy of King Charles in that same register:

The register is continued to this day; it must be quite exciting to be a new member in 2013 and to get the opportunity to sign your name in a book with so many famous and accomplished scientists!

Here is an index, so you can look up anyone; I asked to see Edmund Halley (of Halley’s Comet fame) and Charles Darwin!

Here I am holding a first edition copy of Principia- generally regarded as the finest work of science ever produced.  It is hard to underestimate how this work changed the relationship between philosophy, science, and knowledge at this time in Europe.  After this book was published, one could no longer simply announce a belief and say “it is so because I say so”.  Instead, it became the new norm to present evidence to support claims about the world- proof was needed!  The Age of Reason was born.  Science was showing that the world was constructed according to basic principles that could be explained and tested. 

I really enjoyed looking through the pages; there were even pencil marks by Newton himself so that changes could be made in subsequent additions!  It is said that Newton was aware that he was writing an instant classic, and so he wrote in a lovely and formal style.  When it was published in 1687, he because internationally famous.

Around the building, there are many mentions of Newton.  Here is a bust:

Here is an oil painting:

And here is a list of the Presidents:

Newton only missed three meetings in his years as President.  He brought back the scheduling of weekly meetings where experiments were demonstrated for members.  It is not all positive, however.  During his time as President, Newton went after some of his fellow members who had dared to disagree with him over the years with a vengeance.  It is said he had the papers and portraits of his intellectual enemies destroyed.  Newton was both feared and revered by his peers at this point.

Now, he is named Sir Isaac Newton not because of his connection with The Royal Society but because he was elected to Parliament in 1689-90 and 1701-1702.

Newton’s last official job night strike you as odd- he was appointed as Master of the Mint!  It turns out counterfeit coins were a big issue in England and it was a challenge that Newton took up with gusto.  If the economic situation were to continue deteriorating, and Monday became worthless, that could spell political ruin as well.  He jailed and sentenced to death many members of the underworld counterfeit money rings in London.  In the end, Newton oversaw the entire recoining of the British currency- a giant task!

And here, students, is one of my more favorite items: his death mask!  It was customary at that time to make a cast of famous people upon their death.  Does that sound spooky to you?

Although Newton’s hair turned gray in his thirties, he remained in excellent health up until his death.  He continued his work at both the Royal Mint and The Royal Society into his 80s.  He died at home in London, on March 20, 1727, at the age of 84.

Thank you to the staff at the Royal Society for my fantastic visit!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so, this brings us to the end of Part I of the Physics Adventures Blog.  I hope you have enjoyed getting a small introduction to the brilliant and complicated man that was Isaac Newton.  I have many more pictures, videos, and stories to share with you in class!

In the second half of the blog, we will make the leap from Newton’s time, as the fundamental “Father” of physics, to today, to the physicists of the 2000s!  In order to learn about the cutting-edge research that makes up physics today, I headed to Switzerland to visit CERN- the European Center for Nuclear Research...

In future entries, you will learn:

·      Why CERN was created

·      How CERN was built

·      All about the major discovery made there so far: the Higgs Boson particle!

·      The fascinating study of the branch of physics known as “particle physics”- what goes on inside the nucleus of an atom?  Get ready to study the tiniest things in the Universe!

·      The questions scientists at CERN will study next!