Isaac Newton

   Well, hello there! It's nice to see y'all again! This week I'll be telling you about one of the most influential people in science: Sir Isaac Newton.
   Isaac Newton was an English physicist, natural philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician. I know, that's a lot of stuff. He was born in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth in 1643. This is the place where quite a bit of his most important discoveries and work would take place. Before any of that, however, Newton almost became a farmer! Can you believe that? While he was away studying at school, his mother ordered him back to their farm so he could learn the business. Thankfully, his headmaster managed to convince his mother to send him back to school, where he graduated later with flying colors. After, he enrolled in Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. He studied there for four years before the school was shut down in 1665 due to an outbreak of the plague.

   Newton returned home after acquiring his degree and continued studying science. This is where he was said to have seen the famous apple. He had been sitting near a window at Woolsthorpe Manor when he saw an apple fall from a nearby tree. Then, he began thinking about the force that pulled the apple to the ground; this in turn caused him to question whether the force that pulled the apple down was the same as what kept the moon orbiting the Earth, and the Earth orbiting the sun. He called that force gravity, which affects every object in the universe depending on said object's distance and mass. In 1687, he published this the law of gravitation in book called Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, along with his three laws of motion.
   Not only did he make major contributions to physics, but he also took great strides in the field of mathematics by helping create Calculus(a type of math that helps us measure curves and irregular shapes). You know Calculus, that math that you stay awake trying to figure out until 3 a.m.?

   Then there was his work in optics, another branch of physics that deals with light properties. He refracted light through a prism and discovered that white light is actually made up of many other different colors. With this knowledge, Newton invented the reflecting telescope, which helped create a more high-quality picture.

   Later in life, he was knighted by Queen Anne for his contribution to the Royal Mint(go figure). He helped to reform English currency and find and punish counterfeiters as well. Newton became the President of the Royal Society in 1703, which was the most prestigious organization of scientists in England.
   Newton died in 1727 and became the first scientist to be buried in Westminster Abbey. Even though he is dead, his extraordinary contributions to science are still remembered and used today.

Hope you guys enjoyed that little lesson on Isaac Newton! Make sure to leave a comment in the comments section below; I'd love to here your input!