On this day: Newton's *Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy* is published

By the early 17^th century, Copernicus’s heliocentric theory, Kepler’s formulation of the three empirical laws governing the motion of the planets around the Sun, and the observations made with a telescope, the experiments and studies conducted by Galileo, had shaken Aristotelian natural philosophy and the Ptolemaic system of the world to their very foundations. However, although Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo made decisive contributions through their studies to the establishment of the heliocentric system, none of them had offered an explanation for why the planets move or what keeps them in their elliptical orbits. For the first scientifically substantiated attempt to answer these questions, we would have to wait for Newton’s genius.

Indeed, standing on the shoulders of the giants who came before him and developing the new mathematical tools he needed to formulate his theories mathematically, Isaac Newton (1643–1727) formulated the first modern theory of physics.

In The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, one of the most influential scientific works of all time, first published on July 5, 1687, Newton describes gravity and the three laws governing the motion of bodies, while at the same time using this framework to derive Kepler’s empirical laws governing the motion of the planets. Newton, in other words, was the first scientist to prove that the motion of bodies on Earth and of celestial bodies in the universe obey the same laws of physics.

Much has been written about Newton’s cantankerous nature, his envy, and  the vindictiveness he often displayed in his disputes with other scientists, such as Flamsteed and Leibniz. However, he approached the scientific endeavor to unravel the secrets of the universe with respect and humility because, as he himself said:

"I don't know how people see me, but in my own eyes, I'm just a boy playing by the seashore: "Every now and then I enjoy discovering a smoother pebble or a shell more beautiful than the usual ones, while the vast ocean of truth stretches unexplored before me."

Newton's life and work are presented in detail in the Eugenides Foundation's documentary titled Newton: The Power of God, which has won major awards at Greek and international film festivals, including the following:

1. Audience Award at the 10th Athens International Science Film Festival, 2016.
2. Special Mention Award at the 10th Athens International Science Film Festival, 2016.
3. Award of Excellence at the Impact Docs Festival, California, 2016.
4. Award of Excellence at the Best Shorts Competition, California, 2016.
5. Award of Excellence at the IndieFest Film Festival, California, 2016.

The documentary is freely available at the following link:

Newton: The Power of God | Newton: The Force of God (2016) - YouTube 

The fascinating story of the transition from the geocentric to the heliocentric system and, ultimately, the groundbreaking discovery that the Universe is expanding and has no center, is described in the book accompanying the performance The Center of the World: From the geocentric model to the expansion of the Universe, which you can find at the following link:

to-kentro-tou-kosmou_web-corr.pdf (eef.edu.gr)