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11 Things You Didn’t Know About The Crazy Genius Isaac Newton
An Introduction to some of the crazy beliefs that you probably did not know about the famous scientist, Isaac Newton.
1. Isaac Newton was one of the greatest workaholics this world has known.
2. He was also one of the greatest insomniacs.
3. When deciding between a reflecting telescope and a conventional refracting model, he preferably decided to construct one himself.
3. Newton was mostly superstitious and cranky.
4. He believed in alchemy, which held that metals can be transformed into gold.
5. He believed that there was a universal semen floating in the cosmos (and other beliefs of alchemy).
6. He was very religious, writing more about theology than science.
He was fond of the book of Revelations and obsessed with the literal measurements of the Temple of Solomon, as portrayed in the Bible.
7. According to Peter Ackroyd (biographer), Newton was particularly bigoted against Catholics, saying that they were the “offspring of the Whore of Rome.”
8. Newton was an elitist.
Newton boasted about writing his already complicated work Principia Mathematica in Latin, so that it would be less accessible to the vulgar (“laypeople”).
9. He encouraged the hanging of forgers (during his time as master of the Royal Mint).
Forgers are similar to people that paraphrase or quote without giving credit to the source.
10. Newton hated women.
11. Was petrified of sex and most likely died a virgin.
If you want to read more about Isaac Newton, I recommend my source: An Essay by Christopher Hitchens, titled Isaac Newton: Flaws of Gravity. This essay was taken from his collection of essays Arguably.
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keep reflecting.
