Sir Isaac Newton

A three month premature baby who was small enough to fit in a quart bottle survived.  He only had a small chance of living and his father passed away before he was even born.  It is hard to think that this hopeless baby turned into one of the most influential scientists of all time: Isaac Newton. Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England on Christmas Day of 1642. After a rudimentary education in local schools, he was sent at the age of twelve to the King's School in Grantham, where he lived in the home of an apothecary named Clark. When he attended Cambridge University, his professor, Isaac Barrow, had largely shaped his beginning to get Newton involved in the Scientific Revolution by encouraging him to push the limits of what man can do. After graduating, when he was only 23, he discovered something so influential that it is still in use today: the laws of gravity. Just two years later, he revealed another apparatus that changed the way people looked at stars by inventing the first reflecting telescope; a technology so advanced, that it gathers white light from a star to a focus that represented the spectrum of colors around the star. Due to all of his dynamic discoveries, Queen Anne in 1705 knighted Newton and was officially named "Sir" Isaac Newton as a result. Having the ability to self teach and a unique, intelligent way of thinking, Newton had the ability to persevere under difficult circumstances in order to discover new things. Isaac Newton, known as one of the most influential scientists of his time, was dedicated to his work, visioned intelligent ideas, and persisted patiently throughout his studies until he triumphed at the end.

Isaac Newton was diligent and was always dedicated no matter how difficult the circumstances; he focused his time on making his own apparatuses and discovered new concepts that others would not be able to find. In the difficult circumstances during the years of 1665 and 1667, a plague swept through the city resulting in the closure of the university: "During the plague, he made some of his most amazing discoveries, even with all the stress the epidemic brought. In his solitude, he endlessly worked and experimented, until the university he attended reopened" (Harper). Newton's dedication is clearly shown as he continued on his studies while enduring the exasperation of the plague.  When "he endlessly worked and experimented," (annus mirabilis) it clearly exemplifies his dedication because he did not just do his work but he endlessly worked for it. This is a resolute quality many men lack, but Isaac Newton was able to become the well known scientist he is recognized today because of this quality. This dedication he showed payed off when he returned to the university: "During his years in Cambridge, his practical bent, which later enabled him to devise and conduct experiments unassisted and to build most of his scientific apparatus himself, is already evident in the Pierpont Morgan notebook where he documented his countless studies" (Isaac Newton's Personal Life). The strong confidence he obtained from his dedication made him devise experiments unassisted. Being able to "devise and conduct experiments unassisted" requires an extraordinary level of dedication because conducting experiments unassisted at that time was difficult due to the lack of resources. Anyone can conduct an experiment, but doing it "unassisted" was something that set apart Newton from others.  In his Pierpont Morgan notebook, his dedication is also indisputable as this notebook contains over 220 pages of notes on various scientific subjects. His ability to conduct an experiment "unassisted" relies on his robust foundation of dedication, and his time spent to create impressive works even under exasperated conditions.

As a result of working hard throughout his life, Newton, instead of accepting the occurrence of an incident that others would regard as insignificant, questioned it with curiosity and was determined to follow through until he could find out the reason that the event took place. With his tendency to vision unique ideas , he was able to question himself just by looking at a falling apple. Newton was recognized by many because of the story of the falling apple: "One night after having tea with Stukely,  Newton went outside and sat by a tree staring at the moon. Then an apple fell. Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground, thought he to himself; occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood. Why should it not go sideways, or upwards?" (Isaac Newton, Sir). In this event, he questions insignificant things such as a falling apple what ordinary people would just accept. This uncommon perspective of an apple falling is what sparked his laws of gravity, a concept with such an impact that it is still used today. Today, most people who know about the theory of gravity also know about Newton's apple incident. Newton's influence is so great because he makes discoveries from thinking about the events in everyday life, noticing relationships and proving them. Having a vision on unique ideas, it made Newton capable of solving  impossible problems, that no one else could: "This was evident when in 1684, English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742) told Newton about a particular problem concerning the movement of planets that no one could solve. After Newton immediately told him the answer, Halley asked how he knew, and Newton said simply that he had calculated it nearly 20 years earlier." ("Sir" Isaac Newton). Newton's unique vision and his way of thinking made his work an answer to Halley's question. This was something only Newton could achieve due to his hard working nature.  He had "simply" answered Halley's question even though his particular question regarding the movement of planets was something "no one could solve." Newton's work solved the inexplicable problem, clearing up the roadblock stopping so many astronomers from making any progress. By visioning unique ideas and thinking in a different, perspective, he was able to express his rational thinking which helped him to solve "impossible" problems.

Isaac Newton's persistence allowed him to make a lasting impact on his fields of research, in turn causing his shared information to be more powerful, making him a hero to mathematics and science. Isaac solved impossible problems, saw what no one else could, and continued his work through an epidemic: "By 1664, Newton had begun reaching beyond the standard curriculum . . . By early 1664 he had also begun teaching himself mathematics . . . by late 1666 he had become de facto, the leading mathematician in the world, having extended his earlier examination of cutting-edge problems into the discovery of the calculus" (Snobelen). Newton's life displayed persistence as he has mostly self taught himself to be the hero he was. Only a truly persistent hero can teach itself without having the support of others and succeed. Especially considering he had a rough beginning, it is amazing to think that his persistence continued to grow as he did not rush this but rather, he slowly worked toward it. "I keep the subject of my inquiry constantly before me, and wait till the first dawning opens gradually, by little and little, into a full and clear light" (Bartleby). Newton achieved many things, but he did it in a slow, careful way until the obstacles of his studies become clear. When reaching for a goal, Isaac Newton always waits "till the first dawning opens gradually."Unlike many who go straight to the goal, Newton takes extra precautions going to that goal. This is why Newton was able to succeed while others could not because he had a quality that helped with his persistence: Patience. By persisting throughout his life, Newton, he was able to achieve his goals not just by his dedication but also his patience.

Isaac Newton, known as one of the most influential scientists of his time, was dedicated to his work , visioned intelligent ideas, and persisted patiently throughout his studies until he triumphed at the end. Newton's significance in history has inspired me and others to be persistent no matter what the situation. " In school, I always find myself struggling in some classes but when I think of Isaac Newton, I abandon any doubt and continue, pushing myself."  When I struggle in a class, at a certain point, I tend to just be impatient and get it over with soon. By following newton's implication of being patiently persistent,  it really made a difference for me because newton had a rough beginning to start with, but did not matter to him because he was able to achieve remarkable feats in the field of Science and Mathematics. This is what a hero must possess; having the dedication and persistence to think like no other and come out successful.  Newton accomplished great things, but his values are what make him a hero. Newton is a hero because he persisted throughout his life, shared his discoveries to the world when he can, and had a lasting impact on science and mathematics.

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