Sir Isaac Newton (vegetarian): The Mind that Changed the World, Part 1 of 2

“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” ― Sir Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton (vegetarian) was a 17th-century truth-loving British natural philosopher, mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, and theologian, widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists in history. Newton’s insatiable curiosity and genius led to some of the most groundbreaking discoveries in scientific history.

Newton’s genius extends far beyond the falling apple; his discoveries still power the modern world. He invented calculus, the mathematics of change, one of Newton’s revolutionary breakthroughs. He developed the tools to understand motion in changing speeds, curving paths, and accelerating objects. His methods solved problems in physics like planetary orbits and fluid dynamics. Today, calculus is essential in science, engineering, medicine, and weather forecasting.

He wrote “Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica,” considered one of the greatest science books ever. Newton explained how gravity works not just here on Earth, like apples falling, but in space. He connected the dots between a falling apple and the orbit of the Moon – all using one law: universal gravitation. The Principia exemplifies the summation and integration of the works of all the great astronomers that preceded Newton and remains the basis of modern physics and astronomy.

Thanks to Newton’s laws, we know how to launch rockets, place satellites in orbit, and land spacecrafts on distant worlds. Every space mission, from Apollo to Mars rovers, still relies on Newtonian mechanics.

Newton didn’t just transform science; he changed the way we see our place in the Universe. His discoveries are still part of our daily lives, whether you’re tossing a ball, checking the tides, or gazing up at the stars.