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Flagged 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).
It's good not to let a bad title spoil a good article. The material is interesting and well on topic for HN.
Flagged 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).
https://isaac-newton.org/statement-on-the-date-2060/
Here's a relevant quote:
"Since Newton believed that the 1260 years corresponded to the duration of the corruption of the Church, he added 1260 to 800 A.D. and arrived at the date 2060 for the “fall of Babylon” or cessation of the apostate Church. It seems that Newton believed the fall could perhaps begin somewhat before the end of the 1260-year period and continue for a short time afterward. Whatever the precise chronology, Newton believed that sometime shortly after the fall of the corrupt (Trinitarian, Catholic) Church, Christ would return and set up a 1000-year Kingdom of God on earth."
So yes, it would be more accurate to say that "Newton predicted the apocalypse would happen sometime around the year 2060," but I don't think the headline is completely off base here.
Complaints 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 (wh…
But the deadline guarantees a second public attention in your life time when you can promote a new deadline for the same or a nee story.
Complaints 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 (wh…
If 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…
Wasn't something happening in 1999 and then in 2012? There's a Wikipedia page on failed doomsday prophesies. Check it out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_ap...
For the record, something very bad will happen by the third Sunday, of the third month, of the 2033 year. Not necessarily on that day, but by then.
In other words: Newton, brilliant of a lot of things, not so on many other things. We need to accept that, as his attempts to produce gold and invest his money show. For the record, something very bad will happen by the third Sunday, of the third month, of the 2033 year. Not necessarily on that day, but by then.
Isn't that just called an "entrepreneur" these days?
In other words: Newton, brilliant of a lot of things, not so on many other things. We need to accept that, as his attempts to produce gold and invest his money show. For the record, something very bad will happen by the third Sunday, of the third month, of the 2033 year. Not necessarily on that day, but by then.
> as his attempts to produce gold and invest his money show. Isn't that just called an "entrepreneur" these days?
But, basically a great actor or scientist's opinion, outside his field, shouldn't be given extra attention or credibility.