Line #20 UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton


1	[[quoteright:288:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c437f191fbd8d5fc5c7ccdb253f892d5.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:288:"[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent The day that apple fell on my head was the most momentous day in the history of science.]]"[[labelnote:*]]'''Stephen Hawking:''' Not the apple story again![[/labelnote]]]]
3
4	->''Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night:\
5	God said, Let Newton be! — and all was light.''
6	-->-- '''Creator/AlexanderPope'''
7
8	Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 - 20 March 1726 Julian calendar, 4 January 1643 - 31 March 1727 Gregorian calendar) was a revolutionary British scientist best remembered for his AccidentalDiscovery of gravity, which we all know [[GravityIsAHarshMistress can be a harsh mistress]]. Contemporary portraits suggest he looked like Robert Plant from Music/LedZeppelin and Music/BrianMay after he turned grey[[note]]May, by the way, has a Ph.D in physics.[[/note]].
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10	To elaborate, Isaac Newton is the originator of the Three Laws of Motion and the classical theory of universal gravitation ([[MemeticMutation in popular imagery, after seeing an apple fall from a tree/after an apple fell on his head]]).[[note]]Before Newton, people were fairly sure Creator/{{Aristotle}} was wrong about the idea that earthly and heavenly bodies are subject to different laws of motion, but until Newton nobody really understood the mathematics of what the rules were -- hence "universal", since it applies to all objects everywhere. "Classical" is because it was proven to be wrong by UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein's theory of general relativity, but it remains useful as an infinitesimally close approximation under ordinary conditions -- i.e. far from very massive objects like black holes and stars, or at velocities likely to be experienced by normal people.[[/note]] Born on December 25, 1642 (i.e. [[SignificantBirthDate Christmas day]], not very long after UsefulNotes/GalileoGalilei died), the physicist was a RenaissanceMan and dabbled in astronomy, mathematics, alchemy and theology. His work on gravity would lend further credence to heliocentrism (the belief that the Sun, and not the Earth, is the centre of the Solar System). To derive the equations for motion in his ''Principia Mathematica'', he had to ''invent integral calculus'' out of whole cloth. He was one of the {{trope codifier}}s for the concept of EquivalentExchange ("for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction") and the idea of a rational, regular universe--the idea that there are certain laws of nature that are always true, everywhere. This idea has become so entrenched in popular thought that, when further work by UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein on the [[UsefulNotes/{{Relativity}} extreme]] [[UsefulNotes/QuantumPhysics scales]] of the universe proved that his conclusions ''aren't'' applicable everywhere, the larger body of scientific research since then--including that ''by'' Einstein--has revolved around the idea of reconciling the two and restoring (our understanding of) the physical universe to a single, overarching theory.
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12	Ironically, in his lifetime he was better known for being Warden and then Master of the Royal Mint--jobs which, doubly ironically, were meant to be sinecures to give him extra income to support his scientific career. Instead, he took his coinage jobs seriously, and during his tenure at the Mint he introduced the practice of milling coins -- putting a decorative border on them so it would be obvious if pieces had been clipped off. This was important because of a practice at the time where criminals would [[PennyShaving clip the edges off coins, keep the bits of precious metal to melt down, and pass off the clipped coin at its full value]], weakening the currency (and thus causing inflation). This is remembered in the edge inscription of the modern British pound, ''[[Literature/TheAeneid DECUS ET TUTAMEN]]'' ("an ornament and a safeguard").[[note]]Except in years when the inscription is ''NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT'' ("No one assaults me with impunity"), the Scottish national motto, or ''PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD'' ("I am faithful to my country"), a quote from the unofficial Welsh national anthem "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" ("Land of My Fathers").[[/note]] Newton is also commemorated in the edge description of the two pound coin (whose tail side bears a representation of scientific and technological progress[[note]]that wouldn't actually work[[/note]]) with his relevant quote ''STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS''. (On being praised for his scientific insight: "If I have seen further than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants."[[note]]although this may actually have been a [[TakeThat short-guy joke]] aimed at his rival Robert Hooke, with whom he had the type of relationship that UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison would later have with UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla[[/note]]) He also became possibly the most badass inflation-fighter in history, personally going undercover to taverns and so on to catch counterfeiters and clippers and collect evidence to prosecute them at trial -- which he would then go on to do, as he was a justice of the peace (at the time more of an investigatory and prosecutorial position rather than a judicial one) in every county. Newton successfully prosecuted 28 counterfeiters while in office, most prominently William Chaloner, who was more or less his archnemesis during this period.[[note]]A particularly unpleasant scammer who had gotten rich off of setting up phony Catholic conspiracies and then turning in the poor idiots who went along with him. He then moved into the counterfeiting game by claiming--again falsely--that the Mint was helping counterfeiters by giving them tools, and then proposing that he be allowed to inspect the Mint tools to "improve" them and make them counterfeiting-proof, while ''really'' just trying to make the best possible fakes.[[/note]] He also inadvertently switched Great Britain from a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimetallism bimetallic]] system to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_standard gold standard]] by setting the ratio of the value of the gold guinea (and other gold coins) to the value of the silver penny in a way that heavily favoured gold ([[https://coinsweekly.com/the-gold-standard-part-1-how-and-why-gold-became-the-most-important-metal-for-coins/ due in part to the Spanish discovering huge gold deposits in Brazil]] and the subsequent recalculations to the price of gold and silver), leading to a mass exodus of silver from the country.[[note]]This led to a very long silver crisis in Britain, one that eventually led to the Opium Wars when the silver finally ran out, and China at the time would only take payment in silver.[[/note]] His tomb in Westminster Abbey references this financial career rather than his scientific one.
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14	[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLpgxry542M He is the deadliest son-of-a-bitch in space]]. Also the inventor of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_flap#History cat flap]]. Or so [[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3156/did-isaac-newton-invent-the-cat-door the legend claims]].
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16	He had a lonely, unhappy childhood, which may have been because he was [[IntelligenceEqualsIsolation much, much smarter than anyone else around him.]] Even after he became a professor at Cambridge he frequently lectured to an empty classroom. Contemporary accounts peg him as an InsufferableGenius; he was given the nickname "The Autocrat of Science" by Frank E. Manuel. He never married and was strongly suspected to have [[CelibateEccentricGenius died a virgin]], but this piece of trivia can never be completely verified; the possibility also exists that he was gay. It was only when he began corresponding with Christopher Wren and the other members of the Royal Society in London that he began to blossom as England's leading scientist.
17
18	!! Works featuring Isaac Newton:
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20	[[AC:Anime and Manga]]
21	* It turns out that Newton himself is the [[spoiler:BigBad Emperor]] in ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne''.
22	* In ''Manga/{{Nobunagun}}'', he's reincarnated in the present day as a woman named Jess Beckman who has GravityMaster powers.
23
24	[[AC:Art]]
25	* Creator/WilliamBlake created a colour copper entitled "Newton" in 1795. It's intended as a hostile caricature of Newton as doomed materialist, but is widely [[MisaimedFandom misinterpreted]] as heroic.
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27	[[AC:Comics]]
28	* He is the main character -- sort of -- of Creator/{{Gotlib}}'s ''Rubrique-à-Brac'', in what could be the longest RunningGag ever (something landing on his head, leading to his discovering the universal law of gravitation).
29	* He appeared at the end of a [[ComicBook/MonicasGang Pitheco]] story Centuries after Pitheco failed to pitch the famous discovery.
30	* ''ComicBook/SHIELD2010'' revealed that Newton was a member of what'd become ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} -- and is immortal.
31
32	[[AC:Film]]
33	* Mentioned very briefly in ''Film/{{Apollo 13}}''. When Jim Lovell powers down the LEM's reaction-control thrusters to save battery power, he remarks, "And that's it. We just put Sir Isaac Newton in the driver's seat."
34	* [[Creator/TheMarxBrothers Harpo Marx]] played him in "The Story of Mankind".
35
36	[[AC:Literature]]
37	* Creator/AlexanderPope wrote an epitaph for Newton.
38	* He is an important character in Creator/NealStephenson's ''Literature/TheBaroqueCycle'', where he took the job at the mint and moved England to the gold standard because [[spoiler:he was trying find Solomonic gold (a raw material for the making of the Philosopher's Stone), which was accidentally put into general circulation as currency because of a quirk of fate involving a few vagabonds. He put England onto the Gold Standard and regiggled the exchange rate so that all the gold in the world will circulate through England at some point, allowing him to test them at his leisure]]. After all, historians did refer to Newton as the last alchemist.
39	* Robert Langdon visits his tomb in ''Literature/TheDaVinciCode''.
40	* Is the codifier of all (European) Magic in the ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'' books, and the reason all spells are in GratuitousLatin.
41	* Missed meeting wizards from the Unseen University in ''Literature/TheScienceOfDiscworld II: The Globe'' having just stepped out for some fresh air when [[MissedHimByThatMuch they pop in]]. It was probably for the best. A footnote in the science text says that if anyone on Roundworld was going to discover laws of magic it would be him. This inspired his role in ''Literature/RiversOfLondon''.
42	* Major character in the ''Age of Unreason'' series, not surprising when the first book is called ''Newton's Cannon''. The book opens with Newton successfully making alchemy work, and goes from there.
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44
45	[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
46	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': Newton turns up twice.
47	** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': Newton appears as a hologram, playing cards against UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein, Creator/StephenHawking and (non-holographic) Data.
48	** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': Newton is briefly transported onto the ''Voyager'' by a Q, who mentions that, if he never had gotten the inspiration to put forth the notion of gravity, he would have died penniless in debtor's prison... and a suspect in several prostitute murders.
49	* ''One Hundred Greatest Britons'': Newton was voted to #6 by British viewers.
50	* ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'': Newton is one of fifteen main Eyecons, based on fifteen different historical people. In this form, Takeru as Ghost armed with orb-shaped gloves that allows him [[GravityMaster to attract or repel his enemies]]. He also can use the gloves as makeshift boxing gloves to deliver powerful punches.
51	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': He appears in the pre-credits of "[[Recap/DoctorWho60thASWildBlueYonder Wild Blue Yonder]]" which sees the Doctor and Donna crashing the TARDIS into the apple tree he's sitting under. Donna can't resist making a "gravity of the situation" pun, which Newton mishears as "mavity" causing a minor CosmicRetcon for the rest of the episode.
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53	[[AC:Tabletop Games]]
54	* ''TabletopGame/ThroughTheAgesAStoryOfCivilization'': He's an Age II leader.
55
56	[[AC:Video Games]]
57	* As mentioned in the intro, the First Law is referenced in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' as the reason one does not "eyeball" the firing of a kinetic kill munition that travels at significant fractions of lightspeed. Space may be virtually infinite, but there is always a chance you'll hit something, whether it's in 10 seconds or ''10,000 years''.
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59	[[AC:Webcomics]]
60	* Plays the OnlySaneMan in ''Webcomic/FrederickTheGreat'', where he is literal math wizard. Notably, he once held a symposium to discover the secret of time travel- a symposium where ''every member'' was an alternate version of himself.
61	* In ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'', Newton is a time-travelling [[HistoricalBadassUpgrade historical badass]].
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63	[[AC:Web Original]]
64	* He battles [[Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy Bill Nye]] and [[spoiler:UsefulNotes/NeilDeGrasseTyson]] in WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory.
65
66	[[AC:Western Animation]]
67	* Featured in the animated segments of 2014's ''WesternAnimation/CosmosASpacetimeOdyssey'', being an incredibly important figure in the history of science and physics.
68	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E9TheLastTemptationOfHomer "The Last Temptation of Homer"]] Homer's guardian angel appears to him [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith in the guise of Newton]], assuming that Homer would recognize him. Homer [[RecognitionFailure does not]], so he transforms himself to Colonel Klink from ''Series/HogansHeroes''.
69	* He was featured in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/XavierRiddleAndTheSecretMuseum''.

Context UsefulNotes / IsaacNewton