Top 10 Innovative Discoveries by Newton

He was passionate about exploring the mechanisms and properties of gravitational force. In formulating the theory of universal gravitation, he conceived the idea of placing a cannon on the highest mountain. This experiment aimed to propose the hypothesis that all objects are subject to gravitational force, which is a crucial factor in the motion of planets.

The hypotheses he put forward suggest that if there is no gravitational force, no air resistance, the cannonballs fired will move in a straight line. With gravitational force, the cannonballs will travel in different directions depending on their initial velocity.

Three cases may occur:

• If the speed of the bullet is less than the orbital velocity, the bullet
  will fall to the ground.
• If the speed of the bullet equals the orbital velocity, the bullet
  will orbit the Earth like the Moon.
• If the speed of the bullet exceeds the orbital velocity, the bullet
  will escape from Earth.

This laid the foundation for the development of satellites later on.

While historians still debate whether the pet doors were Newton's or not, no one can deny Newton's contribution to human understanding in modern physics. Equally important as discovering the law of universal gravitation, the 3 laws of motion introduced by Newton in 1687 in the work Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) laid a solid foundation for the development of classical mechanics (also known as Newtonian mechanics) in later times.

His 3 laws are succinctly described as follows:

• Law 1: If a body is at rest or moving at a constant velocity and no net force acts on it, then it will remain at rest or keep moving with constant velocity.

• Law 2: The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. The direction of the acceleration is the same as the direction of the net force.

• Law 3: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When object A exerts a force on object B, object B exerts an equal and opposite force on object A.

Not only did Newton have a macroscopic vision such as space cannons and discovering the relationship among all things in the universe, but he also applied his remarkable intellect to solve everyday life problems. A classic example is his method to prevent cats from scratching the door by creating a separate entrance for them.

Anecdotes suggest that during Newton's research at Cambridge University, his experiments were constantly disrupted by his cat scratching at the laboratory door, causing annoying noises. To address the issue, he invited a carpenter from Cambridge to drill two holes in the laboratory entrance door: one large hole for the mother cat and one small hole for the kittens!

Whether the story is true or not, contemporary records after Newton's passing reveal an apparent fact that a door with two corresponding holes, sized for a mother cat and her kittens, was found. There is still much debate surrounding this story. However, many opinions suggest that Newton himself was the author of the cat door still in use today.

If you have ever struggled with mathematics, especially with calculus that might have fried your brain, you can partially blame Newton! In fact, the mathematical system is a tool for us to understand everything in this universe. Like many scientists of his time, Newton also realized that the previous theories of algebra and geometry were insufficient for the scientific research demands. The contemporary mathematical system was not enough to serve him.

During Newton's research, an outbreak of the plague occurred, causing numerous deaths across the streets of Cambridge. All shops were closed, and naturally, Newton also had to limit going outside. It was during these 18 months of study that Newton constructed a mathematical model and named it 'the science of continuity'.

Of course, Newton alone did not create the mathematics we use today. Besides Newton, the German mathematician - Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) also independently developed the model of calculus - differentiation and integration during the same period as Newton. However, we still have to acknowledge Newton's importance in the modern mathematical development with his significant contributions.

In a depiction of an alchemist's laboratory, we see planetary symbols representing metals within an open book on the floor. These are believed to be the symbols Newton utilized in his writings.

Newton made significant contributions to humanity with his scientific discoveries. Additionally, he is also remembered as one of the most eccentric alchemysts: a legendary alchemist with the philosopher's stone. Texts preserved to this day offer various descriptions of this stone: from its ability to create life from stone to the transmutation of lead into gold. Some even believed Newton's stone could cure illnesses or turn a headless cow into a swarm of bees.

However, records from Newton's 30 years of experimentation revealed that he hoped for something more than mere chemical reactions, even promising the transmutation of other elements into gold. According to historian William Newman, he believed Newton sought 'superphysical powers in nature.'

This forms the basis for the argument that Newton also conducted studies and left behind notes on alchemy, known to contemporaries as the 'philosopher's stone.' His notes indicate his attempts to create mysterious elements of the time. In fact, Newton made efforts to create a type of purple-colored alloy. However, his research failed.

Newton was born during a time when the presence of telescopes was still quite faint. Nonetheless, scientists had been able to construct models using a series of glass lenses to magnify images. In Newton's experiments with colors, he discovered that different colors would refract at different angles, thereby creating a blurry image for the viewer.

To enhance image quality, Newton proposed using a reflective mirror instead of the refractive lenses used previously. A large mirror would capture the image, and then a smaller mirror would reflect the captured image to the viewer's eye. This method not only produced clearer images but also allowed for the creation of a smaller-sized telescope.

In fact, Newton ground the mirrors himself, assembled a prototype, and presented it to the Royal Society in 1672. It was simply a 15 cm device capable of eliminating refraction and magnifying up to 40 times. To this day, almost all observatories use variations of Newton's original design.

Rainbow? What's a rainbow? Do you think Newton left the mysteries inside the rainbow untouched? Not at all! Our genius was determined to decode the secrets hidden within this natural phenomenon. In 1704, he wrote a book on the topic of light refraction titled 'Opticks'. The book played a significant role in reshaping our understanding of light and color.

Contemporary scientists believed that rainbows form when light is refracted and reflected within raindrops. Although they knew this, they still hadn't explained clearly why rainbows have multiple colors. They thought somehow the water imbued sunlight with color. Newton disagreed, and using a prism and a lamp, Newton separated light into rainbow-like light.

In his studies, Newton also dedicated much time to exploring the physical aspects of the phenomenon of substances cooling down. By the late 1700s, he conducted experiments with a red-hot iron sphere. He noted in his records that there was a difference in temperature between the iron ball and the surrounding air. Specifically, the temperature difference was up to 10 degrees Celsius. And he also realized that the rate of heat loss was proportional to the temperature difference.

From this, Newton formulated the law of cooling states. According to it, the rate of heat loss of a body is proportional to the difference in temperature between the surrounding environment and the body's temperature. Later on, the French chemist Piere Dulong and physicist Alexis Prtot perfected the law in 1817 based on Newton's research foundation. Newton's principle laid the groundwork for many other modern physics studies from safe nuclear reaction furnaces to space exploration.

By the end of the 1600s, England's financial system was in crisis. At that time, the currency system in England was using silver coins, and the value of silver was higher than the stated value on each coin, leading to people clipping and adulterating the silver. Counterfeiting was rampant.

Faced with this situation, in 1696, the English government called on Newton to help find a solution to the problem of counterfeiting and clipping silver coins. Newton took a bold step by recalling all the coins nationwide, remelting them, and casting them into a new design of his own. This move left the entire country without currency in circulation for a year.

Agreeing to help, Newton worked tirelessly, and finally, after weeks of effort, he introduced a new design for the coins, with each coin's edges being milled according to a special formula. Without specialized milling machines, it would be impossible to create coins with the distinctive characteristics as those issued by the Royal Mint.

The Doomsday has always been a human obsession. However, Newton wasn't the type to easily succumb to fear of the end times through stories or legends. Newton himself was a pragmatist and always sought to verify, to put forth his views through his research on the Bible. In the course of his studies, Newton didn't emphasize the theological aspect but used his knowledge to try to explain the issue. According to notes dating back 300 years that are still preserved today, Newton studied the Book of Daniel. To aid his research, he taught himself Hebrew, focusing on the study of traditional Jewish philosophy. Through his studies, he predicted the world's end date to be in 2060 or later but not earlier. Regardless, that's what he proclaimed to everyone in the 18th century. Of course, nowadays, scientists have better explanations or predictions for the phenomenon of the apocalypse in general. Through this, we somewhat understand more about the viewpoint of an 18th-century scientist on humanity's end day.