Doctor Curmudgeon® Ouch!
By Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D. FAAP Doctor Eisman, is in Family Practice in Aventura, Florida with her partner, Dr. Eugene Eisman, an internist/cardiologist
The still cold air of an English winter was shattered by the arrival of a bawling baby.
Sir Isaac Newton had made the scene!
He was a bit premature and quite tiny.
It was 1643 in January or December 25, 1642. The ancient curmudgeon in me recalls those days. The mere act of being born in that bitter cold weather with very little heat was not conducive to the survival of an infant. Prematurity lowered survival even more.
No Neo natal intensive care unit was available. No incubator to keep him warm. No intravenous catheter to give him nutrients and fluid. Monitoring his vital signs? Not in those days
Yet, this tiny baby grew into a giant who made a deep and lasting impact in Science.
Although small in stature, his intellect and powers of observation were huge. Sir Isaac Newton: the Father of Modern Science.
His remarkable brain was at the forefront of Calculus because he needed a tool to help explain planetary motion and understand the accelerated motion of falling bodies (Gottfried Leibniz also claimed credit for the invention of Calculus; working independently, both men created this concept, but Newton received a disproportionate amount of credit for its development. The debate rages on. My apologies for this digression, but my editor’s finely honed sense of accuracy and editorial prudence insisted on it)
A genius, his incredible insight led him to develop the famous Three Laws of Motion.
My editor continues to look over my shoulder and intrudes yet again. The holder of the “blue pencil” insists that they be summarized here.
And so I obey:
Newton’s first law regards Inertia; the second Acceleration and the Third relates to Action and Reaction
That great source, Wikipedia does a better job than I can.
And so with great deference, I quote:
“Newton’s laws of motion are three laws that describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting on it. The first law states that an object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity, unless it is acted upon by an external force.[1] The second law states that the rate of change of momentum of an object is directly proportional to the force applied, or, for an object with constant mass, that the net force on an object is equal to the mass of that object multiplied by the acceleration. The third law states that when one object exerts a force on a second object, that second object exerts a force that is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first object.”
As the centuries sped by, this enlightened man’s work continued to impact Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy.
In more recent times, there are those who believe that this gentleman had what we now call Asperger’s Syndrome; these people have difficulty making social connections, develop few friendships and are unable to make and keep interpersonal relationships. It has been said that Newton had no close relationships, never married, had a stern manner, and had no sense of humor…but who cares?
For centuries, it has been told that Isaac Newton was resting in an orchard when an apple fell upon his head. In collaboration with this apple, he came to the brilliant understanding of gravity. He thought about why apples fall right to the ground, not upwards or sideways. It was the apple that caused him to contemplate. He realized that the very same force that made an apple fall was the same force keeping the moon and planets in their orbits. Due in no small part to that apple, the theory of universal gravitation came into being. That poor apple…long ago rotten away… and never being honored with the commendation that it deserves. Thus, I strive to right that historical wrong.
As a groan begins to escape from my editor, and I hear that vocal gasp signifying that my critic is about to speak, I quickly turn and, in deference to the apple, I screech in a loud curmudgeon voice, “OUCH!”
Dr. Curmudgeon suggests “Bitter Medicine”, Dr. Eugene Eisman’s story of his experiences–from the humorous to the intense—as a young army doctor serving in the Vietnam War.
Bitter Medicine by Eugene H. Eisman, M.D. –on Amazon
Doctor Curmudgeon® is Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D., a physician-satirist. This column originally appeared on SERMO, the leading global social network for doctors.
SERMO www.sermo.com “talk real world medicine”
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