ISAAC NEWTON
Isaac Newton was possibly the most brilliant and influential scientist who ever lived. When we think of him we usually think of Cambridge, where he discovered the law of gravity that brought the seventeenth-century Scientific Revolution to its culmination. But Newton was also a Londoner. He lived in the capital for thirty years, starting as Master of the Mint. Newton’s time in London saw him fend off enemies and achieve fame as President of the Royal Society. Using the view from the Eye, this talk will explore Newton’s movements around London and the diverse circles he presided over. These included knowledge of the heavenly orbits and cosmic revolutions, worries over the circular shape of coins at the Mint and dealing with circles of rivals and admirers.
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Simon Werrett is an historian of science working at UCL. He is interested in the ways science and art have interacted in history. His first book Fireworks: Pyrotechnic Arts and Sciences in European History was published in 2010 His second, on the arts of recycling, will be appearing soon. |
