George Epstein: Science in the 21st century

Isaac Newton was the smartest guy ever. He advanced science further and faster than anyone else in history. His discovery of the law of gravity and the laws of motion, his creation of the Calculus just to perform the computations needed for application of the Laws, and his discoveries in optics and the nature of light makes him the Number 1 pocket protector guy of all time. He was also frequently and deeply depressed. He had what are commonly referred to as “nervous breakdowns” and when asked in his 80’s what he considered to be his greatest accomplishment – he declared that it was his “lifelong celibacy.” Oh and when he was nineteen he confessed that he threatened his step-father and mother “to burn them and the house over them.”

Newton’s humility if not his mental stability was real. He was famously quoted as saying that if he could see further than most men (and he could), that it was only because he stood on the shoulders of giants. There are plenty of giants for today’s scientists to stand upon, but there is a real question as to whether they are seeing very far.