"Most people are acquianted in some degree with the name and reputation of Isaac Newton, for his universal fame as the discoverer of the law of gravitation has continued undiminished over the two and a half centuried since his death."
Did He really do that much?
When I first started reading this paper, I thought it was just exxagerating. I mean, I knew Isaac Newton invented and discovered some things, but I didn't know he did so much. I had no idea he had such an impac ton science and the things we know about the world. He was truly smart, and reading this paper, I realized just how smart he might have been if not smarter. And then on top of all that, the factr that he didn't need or want the fame for all his ideas is ironic. He discovered and recognized alot of things in his time, and as smart beyond his time, yet he didn't really want to tell anybody. It says because he didn't want to be persecuted for his ideas, since they were so.. new i guess. That's crazy. If I found out some information. I feel that I would have discussed it with someone. And maybe he did, but.... I don't know. I just think it's crazy he was this smart, but didn't think his ideas had that much of importance to the rest of the world that he was going to keep them to himself.
It says he told one of his friends (the other guy that claims to have invented calculus), but it was in letters. I wou8ld have wanted to talk face to face with that person and have in depth conversations with him. And it seems like Isaac knew all the important people in scientific history, like RJohn Locke and them, because he had conversations with them. Why wouldn't he have shared his ideas with them. They weren't bad ideas, and since he had them all written down (and dated hopefully) if they tried to steal his ideas, he could obviously show everyone that he thought of it first.
Wasn't he married? Why did he have so much time to think? Did he have a job? Did he spend his life thinking and thinking and thinking. That is a very thoughtful person. So kudos to Isaac Newton because I never knew just how important his ideas and discoveries were to life.... yep.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
QQC Part 5 (Chapter 5 & 6)
"When at last he reached home, eleven and a half years after setting off, and having acheived nothing, he discovered that his relatives had had him declared dead in his absence and had enthusiastically plundered is estate."
I know this isn't a very important part of the chapter, but I was just wondering, like, they didn't need proof of death before declaring someone dead??
It amazes me that his family would go through such lengths to get his money. Did they really think he was dead? Did they dislike him? Or did they just want his money? It's crazy how they could just call someone dead after a couple years of not hearing from them and then take all their possessions. I don't know. I guess I would have kind of did the same thing if someone disappeared for a decade and some months and never gave any sign of them being alive (especially because back then they didn't have phones or cars or anything.) But it's just... like... that's rude. Did they even look for him?
I know this isn't a very important part of the chapter, but I was just wondering, like, they didn't need proof of death before declaring someone dead??
It amazes me that his family would go through such lengths to get his money. Did they really think he was dead? Did they dislike him? Or did they just want his money? It's crazy how they could just call someone dead after a couple years of not hearing from them and then take all their possessions. I don't know. I guess I would have kind of did the same thing if someone disappeared for a decade and some months and never gave any sign of them being alive (especially because back then they didn't have phones or cars or anything.) But it's just... like... that's rude. Did they even look for him?
Friday, November 5, 2010
Bryson Chapter 4
"Newton was a decidedly odd figure-brilliant beyonde measure, but solitary, joyless, prickly to the point of paranoia, famously distracted (upon swinging his feet out of bed in the morning he would reportedly sometimes sit for hours, immobilized by the sudden rush of thoughts to his head, and capable of the most riveting strangeness."
Was he anti-social with that type of personallity?
He sounds like he would be awkward to hang out with, and very dominating in a conversation... or very anti-conversating in a conversation. With all his smartness and brilliance, he was famous for being weird. I would hate to be intelligent, but not have enough knowledge to fit in. or make myself stand out with my personallity in a good way. He was good at math and figured out so many things. And i guess in a way that's really good. He had lots of things going on in his head, and he was always thinking. That's cool.... i guess. But anti-social. Socially uncool. Loser. and Smart. What a contrast.
Was he anti-social with that type of personallity?
He sounds like he would be awkward to hang out with, and very dominating in a conversation... or very anti-conversating in a conversation. With all his smartness and brilliance, he was famous for being weird. I would hate to be intelligent, but not have enough knowledge to fit in. or make myself stand out with my personallity in a good way. He was good at math and figured out so many things. And i guess in a way that's really good. He had lots of things going on in his head, and he was always thinking. That's cool.... i guess. But anti-social. Socially uncool. Loser. and Smart. What a contrast.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Bryson QQC part 2
Supernovae
"Supernovae occur when giantstar, one much bigger than our own Sun, collapses and then spectacularly explodes, releasing in an instant the energy of a hundred billion suns, burning for a time brighter than all the stars in its galaxy."
The Whole section about supernovae baffles me. Like, its so interesting. Supernovae are starts that are just at the brink oflighting out. And I want to know why they burn out. Like, do they run out of energy? Do they get tired? I don't know. But they burn out, and they make an explosion of energy so big that it resembles one thousand hydrogen bombs going off at once (theoretically, becuase no one's ever made a thousand hydrogen bombs go of at once). Or, if they dont make an explosion, they implode with so much energy as to make a black hole, sucking in every peice of matter that comes its way, even light. What kind of force is that? And I always wondered where the black holes lead to. Is there another galaxy at the end of the whole. What if our galaxy was the cause of a black hole? What if we were in a different space, and one of the usns in our galaxy got mad, and oimploded, making a black hole, and sucking everything we consider space right into it? I have so many questions, and comments. It's crazy, and it makes me mad at the same time. So how significant to the universe am I? Compared to our solar system, what do I mean? Nothing. I mean nothing to the universe and that's really depressing. I'm sad, and now I'm done.
"Supernovae occur when giantstar, one much bigger than our own Sun, collapses and then spectacularly explodes, releasing in an instant the energy of a hundred billion suns, burning for a time brighter than all the stars in its galaxy."
The Whole section about supernovae baffles me. Like, its so interesting. Supernovae are starts that are just at the brink oflighting out. And I want to know why they burn out. Like, do they run out of energy? Do they get tired? I don't know. But they burn out, and they make an explosion of energy so big that it resembles one thousand hydrogen bombs going off at once (theoretically, becuase no one's ever made a thousand hydrogen bombs go of at once). Or, if they dont make an explosion, they implode with so much energy as to make a black hole, sucking in every peice of matter that comes its way, even light. What kind of force is that? And I always wondered where the black holes lead to. Is there another galaxy at the end of the whole. What if our galaxy was the cause of a black hole? What if we were in a different space, and one of the usns in our galaxy got mad, and oimploded, making a black hole, and sucking everything we consider space right into it? I have so many questions, and comments. It's crazy, and it makes me mad at the same time. So how significant to the universe am I? Compared to our solar system, what do I mean? Nothing. I mean nothing to the universe and that's really depressing. I'm sad, and now I'm done.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Bryson Intro Chapter 1
Quote, Question, and Comment (QQC)
The QQC is an opportunity to reflect on “What strikes you?” about the class readings. Select a quote or section of text from the week’s readings and craft a response that includes the selected quote/section, the questions it raised for you, and any comments or reflections. This is not a time to summarize the text. It is a time to analyze and critique the author’s ideas, to connect them to other ideas, to reflect on what those ideas mean to you, and to use the text as a springboard for extending your own thinking.
The following week, you should respond to at least one person’s post on something that struck you about what they wrote, new questions that have emerged for you, etc. The purpose of the forum is to serve as an archive of your thinking, but more importantly to generate and continue conversations outside of class
Quote:
"And so, from nothing, our universe begins."
(That Whole Section)
Question:
If no human being was alive during the beginning of the universe, how can anyone make any statements stating what happened.?
Comments:
I can understand if aliens wrote some stuff as they were watching the universe expand, or if they took some telepathic pictures of everything as it happened, and some how, one of the scientists of Earth happened to meet the alien and get all the information. But I feel like, if no one was there, and there isn't any actual proof of there being anything before our universe, they shouldn't make such statements. I don't know. I'd feel more comfortable if they were saying that these were their hypothesis'. But theyre stating it like facts. Hmmm. I'm going to make a theory book. About how the sun began, becuase I have ideas, and information/research. And it will become a fact as soon as I publish it.
The QQC is an opportunity to reflect on “What strikes you?” about the class readings. Select a quote or section of text from the week’s readings and craft a response that includes the selected quote/section, the questions it raised for you, and any comments or reflections. This is not a time to summarize the text. It is a time to analyze and critique the author’s ideas, to connect them to other ideas, to reflect on what those ideas mean to you, and to use the text as a springboard for extending your own thinking.
The following week, you should respond to at least one person’s post on something that struck you about what they wrote, new questions that have emerged for you, etc. The purpose of the forum is to serve as an archive of your thinking, but more importantly to generate and continue conversations outside of class
Quote:
"And so, from nothing, our universe begins."
(That Whole Section)
Question:
If no human being was alive during the beginning of the universe, how can anyone make any statements stating what happened.?
Comments:
I can understand if aliens wrote some stuff as they were watching the universe expand, or if they took some telepathic pictures of everything as it happened, and some how, one of the scientists of Earth happened to meet the alien and get all the information. But I feel like, if no one was there, and there isn't any actual proof of there being anything before our universe, they shouldn't make such statements. I don't know. I'd feel more comfortable if they were saying that these were their hypothesis'. But theyre stating it like facts. Hmmm. I'm going to make a theory book. About how the sun began, becuase I have ideas, and information/research. And it will become a fact as soon as I publish it.
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