Brain Food #748
There is so much more to be discovered
Thoughts of the day
Isaac Newton died on this day in 1727. His last words are often listed among the most famous of all time:
“I don’t know what I may seem to the world. But as to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself now and then in finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
In his time, Newton discovered the laws of gravity and motion and invented calculus. His work still influences much of today’s scientific thinking. Newton’s final words suggest that his genius did not lie just in his cognitive abilities, but also in his capacity to stay humble, curious, and excited about what else was there, despite his achievements.
Though his metaphor was uttered almost three centuries ago, more than 80% of the ocean still remains unexplored. Even if the world often feels like it is reaching saturation point, and there was much more territory in Newton’s time to be explored within the realm of science, consider some of the innovations of the past twelve months, the number of books written, music released, art made, ideas circulated, and you will see there is so much more to be discovered, to be made and shared.
J.M.W. Turner, born 48 years after Newton died, dedicated much of his life’s work towards trying to capture the mystery of the sea across multiple canvases and drawings, even if he could only see the surface.
Sometimes, novelty can simply come from revisiting the same idea in new ways.
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