Robert Hook - Out of the shadow of a giant

[gajjer]

Hi all.

I'm just listening to an audio book about Robert Hook. I would recommend it to anyone interested in science. It makes some very interesting claims about whether it was Newton or Hook that made certain discoveries.

Only part way through so have to get back to it.

Enjoy.

gaj

 

 

[Cleetus]

And the title is??

[JeremyS]

The title is in the title 👍🏻

[Cleetus]

I am a young man going blind! Not good for this hobby!!

[ollypenrice]

56 minutes ago, gajjer said:

Hi all.

I'm just listening to an audio book about Robert Hook. I would recommend it to anyone interested in science. It makes some very interesting claims about whether it was Newton or Hook that made certain discoveries.

Only part way through so have to get back to it.

Enjoy.

gaj

 

 

In Never at Rest, Richard Westfall's definitive biography of Newton, there is little doubt that Hook gave Newton some conceptual pointers from which his theory of gravitation grew. Newton vehemntly denied this and Hook vehemently insisted upon it.

Another interesting Hook snippet concerns Newton's famous line, 'If I have seen further, it is because I have stood upon the shoulders of giants.' Often seen as an uncharacteristic bit of modesty and generosity on Newton's part, it was almost certainly a swipe at Hook who was dwarfish and deformed. In other words Newton was saying that he had certainly not stood upon the shoulders of Robert Hook.  History isn't inclined to believe him, I don't think.

Olly

[gajjer]

Hi Olly. I had always assumed that it was Hook who was the devious and difficult one of the two. However, according to the book Hook's ideas are documented many years before Newton was credited with them.

I would certainly recommend it as a read. I have just bought Micrographia as well, which I am hoping with throw further light on things. It looks to be Hook's equivalent of Newton's Principia. 

The document trail would seem to indicate that Hook was a far more prolific scientist than history would give him credit for. 

cheers

gaj

[Roy Challen]

Are you talking about Robert Hooke of Hooke's Law fame? Or is there another equally influential Robert Hook that I have no knowledge of?

[Cleetus]

I do believe it is the same person - just a typo. Anyway,  I have no more credits with Audible - my last one went with the book on Mars recently reviewed in the BAA Journal -  and will have to wait until September for my new shiny credit. Nice to see astro books getting the Audible treatment.

[Roy Challen]

4 minutes ago, Cleetus said:

I do believe it is the same person - just a typo. Anyway,  I have no more credits with Audible - my last one went with the book on Mars recently reviewed in the BAA Journal -  and will have to wait until September for my new shiny credit. Nice to see astro books getting the Audible treatment.

Ah, fair enough.

[Gfamily]

I found a second hand copy of the book by John and Mary Gribbin, and I can confirm it's a good read.

Lots about Edmund Halley as well; it's easily arguable that without Halley, who seems to have been a natural diplomat, Newton would not have written his masterwork Principia. 

I'm also reading Alan Cook's biography of Halley; it's definitely 'comprehensive' - if you borrow it from a library, expect to renew your loan.