Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
1–10 of 32 posts
Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#2There seem to be some misgivings in the headline. Newton predicted the world will certainly not end before 2060. So the headline should be, "In 1704, Isaac Newton predicts the world will not end before 2060"
Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#3Headline is very misleading.
It is true that, as an unorthodox theologian, Newton investigated the bible for signs of when the world would end, and announced it certainly would not end before 2060 to dispel continually recurring myths (from the Christian standpoint) that it would end soon.
Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#4If you're interested in this topic, you should also have a look at this article (https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2011/januaryfebruary/feature/...) and Keynes' wonderful lecture on the topic. In fact Newton was pre-Newtonian in terms of scientific rigor. You can perhaps say similar things about most revolutionary scientists, i.e. rarely do they fully realize the y have wrought.
I think Newton being the "Last Magician" fascinates/frustrates people because currently we (think) that there is such a clear divide between scientists and mubo-jumboists, the latter perceived to be rather idiotic. In fact, most topics have pretty clear labels classifying them into one or the other: diffraction - science, tarot - MJ, etc. How could Newton, the epitome of reason and the greatest scientist ever lived, dabble in the latter? Of course, the labels were not so clear at his time.
Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#5Reminds me of Kepler's Mysterium Cosmographicum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysterium_Cosmographicum
Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#6There seem to be some misgivings in the headline. Newton predicted the world will certainly not end before 2060. So the headline should be, "In 1704, Isaac Newton predicts the world will not end before 2060"
Sure, but then I wouldn't have clicked.
Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#7Complaints about the headline aside, it is the perfect sort of doomsday prophecy story. It is far enough away that the people who pulled it out of Newton's writing will be forgotten, its near enough that the reader could imagine being alive at that time and wondering what would happen. Erich von Däniken exploited this in his "Ancient Astronauts" stuff, predicting the Mayan's called it with a 2012 extinction event (whoops :-).
Since you only get one end of the world prophesy (when it passes you're a crackpot and everyone who believed you now hates you intensely) you need to pick it to land post retirement at least since you'll not have any credibility afterward. Predicting '2060' (and yes I know Newton wrote no earlier than) as the folks who have used Newton's works to date it, being a bit more than 40 years away will have all of these folks retired by then. My guess is they will really try to milk it for all it is worth in the 2040's.
Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#8Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#9Flagged because the title isn't just misleading, but completely wrong. Newton did not predict the world would end in 2060, he claimed that the end of the world would not happen until at least 2060, precisely to challenge claims that it _would_ end in the nearer future (way back in the 1700s).
Re: Isaac Newton's prediction that the world would not end before 2060 (2015)
#10(Almost) obligatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yis7GzlXNM
... hiding up inside his attic on some Harry Potter business / The Universe is infinite, but this battle is finished