The Well-Ordered Newtonian Mechanics

Abstract

Just like many scientific giants, Issac Newton (1643–1727) was also a weirdo. He was anti-social and aggressive, unique in thinking as well as actions, at the same time refusing to yield to authority. Born in the county of Lincolnshire, he later moved to Cambridge and London for research and government work, all the while living in his isolated world both mentally and physically, almost without any contact with real people, not to mention getting married. Though he spent his whole life in the long, narrow area bounded by these three places and never actually saw the ocean with his own eyes, he was able to describe the tidal phenomenon and its causing factors. Even more surprising, though, was how healthy he was. In fact, rumor has it that he only shed one single tooth from cradle to grave. Equally amazing was how he managed by integrating astronomy, physics, and mathematics in an unprecedented way to explain a number of celestial and earthly movements with physical concepts and calculate changes in the natural world with mathematical approaches, thereby solving certain astronomical mysteries that had perplexed natural philosopher for more than 2,000 years. With achievements that almost no one in the history of physics could ever emulate, he debunked Aristotle’s scientific hypothesis, which had been widely accepted for thousands of years and was still wielding significant influence on many scientists even in the 17th century. It’s no wonder the famous economist John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946) hailed him not only as a magician who bridged the gap between ancient natural philosophy and modern physics but also a model in present-day scientific research worthy of our tremendous respect.