Jan
19
2010
The most famous apple
Isaac Newton 1689, Godfrey Kneller from Wikipedia
Perhaps Newton’s theory of gravitation didn’t arise from a bonk on the head from a pomaceous fruit, but an apple might have been his inspiration after all. In William Stukeley’s biography, Memories of Isaac Newton’s Life (1752), the notorious scientists relates how an apple falling in his garden puts him in a “contemplative mood,” especially to ponder the properties of gravity.
Although Stukely’s biography may have been written over 2 and a half centuries ago, it’s taken on new interest for scholars. As part of their Turning the Pages project, The Royal Society has fully digitalized the memoir for all to peruse online.
