A story from Issac Newton's life

In Chaitanya's Journal (Vol 1, Issue 3, March 2011), it recounts a story from the life of Issac Newton, whom we all know discovered the law of gravitation and went on to formulate the laws of motion that underlie classical mechanics.

The story goes like this. Newton had a friend who was an atheist scientist. Newton showed him his solar system making machine and the friend started cranking the handle of the machine and the planets went round.

"Who made this?" He asked.

Newton: No body did.

The friend said, "You didn't hear me. Who made this?"

Newton: I told you. Nobody did.

The friend said, "Listen, Issac, this marvellous machine must have been made by somebody. Don't keep saying that nobody made it."

To this, Newton said, "Now, isn't that amazing? I tell you that nobody made a simple toy like that, you don't believe me. Yet you gaze out into the solar system, the intricate marvelous machine that is around you - and you dare say to me that no one made that. I don't believe it."

This was Newton's way of conveying that God was behind the laws and systems found in creation.

Newton's famous quote goes like this, "God created everything by number, weight and measure."

Comments

KT said…

really good one!!! there is a similar story about einstein...read here it's pretty interesting:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/religion/a/einstein_god.htm

April 21, 2011 at 7:44 PM

Swapna Raghu Sanand said…

Thanks, KT - will check it out.

April 22, 2011 at 3:48 PM

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