The Law of the Stars and the Affections of Men: The Light and Shadow of Old Newton (1643-1727)

The Law of the Stars and the Affections of Men: The Light and Shadow of Old Newton (1643-1727)

Isaac Newton was a genius who laid the foundation of modern science by discovering the laws of universal gravitation and motion. His famous anecdote that he got the idea of gravity from watching an apple fall in his hometown as a young man is based on a later account by his pupil. He theorized the laws of the universe in "Principia," and later joined the Royal Mint, where he was also successful in the fight against counterfeit money. In his later years, he held power as president of the Royal Society and engaged in a heated debate with the German scholar Leibniz over the priority of calculus. He died in 1727 and was buried in Westminster Abbey in a state funeral. He was a man of great achievements in both astronomy and state practice, but he was also a man of strong honor and human conflicts.