On Thu, 20 May 2004, Howard Brazee wrote: > On Thu, 20 May 2004 12:56:30 -0700 (PDT), Philip Hart > <philiph at slac.stanford.edu> wrote: > > Newton was so smart it makes my teeth hurt, but he was a contemptible > > nutcase outside the field. > > Because he researched into fields that we now believe to be wacko? > > Part of the reason we don't accept achemy is because Newton did his > research. I don't think it is being a comptible nutcase to decide to use > Scientific Method to test common hypotheses. Suffice it to say that from what I've seen, Newton's accomplishments as a man were not up to those as a scientist (though perhaps I should cut him some slack for the rather brutal standards of the day and his dodgy mental health). And he wasn't the greatest colleague. I shouldn't have written "nutcase", despite his nervous breakdowns and obsessive interest in magic.