Profiles

Thomas Levenson
Professor, Director of the Graduate Program

In early September, WHS conducted an interview with Professor Levenson about his latest book, Newton and the Counterfeiter.

What makes Newton the "world's greatest scientist"?

This one is simple.  He is the world's greatest scientist because of the reach of his insight, from pure mathematics through so much of physics and more -- he had to invent the fundamental concepts that would permit a modern question to be asked and answered before he could move forward to the discoveries for which he is remembered. He had to understand inertia before he could incorporate it into his theory of motion.  He had to resolve the nature of light and color to arrive at the fundamentals of his optical theory. more...