12. Newton and the cat flap

12. Newton and the cat flap

In the last post I gave a brief list of Newton’s achievements (except for one, which I discuss below), but failed to fulfil my self-imposed obligation to say just how he came up with his ideas. In fact, it’s a difficult question to answer, because Newton himself gave...
3. Newton’s Missed Chance

3. Newton’s Missed Chance

The story of light is still going, with some very surprising twists, as later posts will show. Light itself can even be twisted, like the fibers in a rope, and also used to lift small objects and move them around. When Newton published his book Opticks in 1704,...
2. Two Fingers to Newton

2. Two Fingers to Newton

If you want to repeat one of Isaac Newton’s most significant experiments, try holding your index and middle fingers up to the light (don’t do this, as I once did, in a train full of drunken football supporters!). With the tips of the fingers just touching, there will...