Reviews for Sidereus Nuncius and Stella Polaris: The Scientific Relations between Italy and Sweden in Early Modern History

The average rating for Sidereus Nuncius and Stella Polaris: The Scientific Relations between Italy and Sweden in Early Modern History based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-01-28 00:00:00 Matthew Boesch "The husband of Newton's niece once recorded in fractured English on a conversation with him: 'He bought Descartes' Geometry and read it by himself. When he was got over two or three pages, he could understand no farther, then he began again and got another three or four pages farther, 'til he came to another difficult place. Then he began again and advanced farther, and continued so doing 'til he made himself master of the whole, without having the least light or instruction from anybody!' "It is difficult for us to recapture the excitement that Descartes mechanical philosophy provoked, especially in a university where it was not yet taught [Trinity College, Cambridge]. But Newton shared in it completely. He read and copied from Descartes, Galileo, Kepler, Boyle, and a number of other natural philosophers. The shift is indicated in a notebook by a new heading: 'Certain Philosophical Questions,' and he attached a motto to it: 'Amicus Plato, Amicus Aristoteles, Magus Amica Veritas' -- 'Friend of Plato, Friend of Aristotle, but a greater Friend of Truth.' Newton plunged into this reading with a rare intensity. John North, later master of Trinity College from 1677-1683, once remarked to his nephew about how Newton had been absorbed in thought. 'If Sir Isaac Newton had not wrought with his hands in making experiments, he had killed himself with study. A man may so engage his mind as almost to forget he hath a body, which must be waited upon and served.'" "The word genius is often applied to Newton, and to many the word suggests a sudden stroke of happy inspiration. But such inspiration invariably takes place against a background of narrowly focused interests, hard work, and enthusiasm born of the conviction that you're on the right track. Newton was asked much later in his life how he had discovered the Law of Universal Gravitation, and he replied, 'By thinking on it, continually.'" "When Napoleon asked [Pierre] Laplace why he had not mentioned God in his book on celestial mechanics he replied, 'Sire, I do not need to avail myself of this hypothesis.' By contrast, Newton believed that God is eternal and infinite, omnipotent and omniscient. This is not at all to suggest that Newton was an orthodox Christian. He was not. His God was more a God of judgment than of love."

Review # 2 was written on 2015-07-27 00:00:00 Jeffrey Chambers I downloaded this free audiobook from Hoopla onto my iPhone. I listened to it while I cleaned up and ran errands over the weekend. This was a quick listen (3 hours). It briefly goes through the early life of Isaac Newton and describes how he was just a normal guy, quiet and introverted, and then he went off to college and though he wasn't an expert or genius, he "stood on the shoulders of giants" and worked hard at his research. His laws of physics would forever change the way we see the world, humble beginnings and all… Scientists use their predecessors' research as stepping stones to get to a bright and shiny eureka moment. This is a good book to get acquainted with or reacquaint yourself with a bit of scientific history and Newtonian physics. Review by Jasmine, Technology and Media Librarian