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Given that hardly a day passes by on the Arena without a mention of Newtonian Physics then how could we not wish the genius (or was he a polymath?) many happy returns.

Anyone who has used Google today has probably already seen their homage to the man - their first ever animated logo. However they are also quick to point out:

Ian
(clearly having a quiet day at the office...)

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Yes but......

Have a look at Robert Hooke who was a huge influence on Newton although not mentioned as such in Wikipedia. Even Newton (who was an arrogant b*****d) said - in reference to Hooke - that "If I have seen a little farther, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants". Trouble is, Hookey sneered at self publicity and has only recently been re-discovered.

All the best

Bill

The problem with Robert Hooke was that he was a scientific genius that was living at the same time and same place as the scientific and mathematical super-genius, Isaac Newton. Hooke had just as much arrogance as Newton. Hooke often times took credit for things Newton had come up, but Hooke could not come up with proof that he did, in fact, originally think of these ideas. This is probably one reason why Newton and Hooke butted heads so much. They were both actively involved in similar scientific thought processes, competing with each other, learning from each other, but with neither one willing to acknowledge the accomplishments of the other since they were so much alike.

Yes, Robert Hooke was brilliant, but Hooke simply didn't have the math skills that Newton did. In the end, the one with better math skills, Newton, ended up becoming the more famous genius since he could very neatly show, using his self-created mathematical method (now called the Calculus), that his theories regarding planetary motion could be proved mathematically. To say that Robert Hooke "sneered at self publicity" seems unlikely also when comparing him to Newton. Newton kept his calculus method secret for years without publishing it and Newton only published his Principia at the constant urging of Edmond Halley (of Halley's comet fame).

I say give both Newton and Hooke their rightful place in scientific history for what they individually accomplished and what they accomplished together from their personal interactions with each other. However, when we talk about scientific geniuses in our recorded history, you will always find Newton's name above Hooke's name in any well-respected historian's analysis.

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Sincerely,

Kevin

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Kevin A. Kirby, DPM
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Department of Applied Biomechanics
California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt College

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These "parallels of genius" must occur many times throughout history;
Evolution, there was Alfred Wallace (natural selection, speciation (Wallace effect) the same time as Charles Darwin!
Artitistically Monet and Renoir!
Biomechanically, Conley the same time as Spooner & Kirby!
Amazing, even a touch spooky, isn't it.