Sir Isaac Newton

From Slackerpedia Galactica

Issac Newton was a great bloke. Legend has it an apple fell on his head that gave him a idea for gravity. Who knows what he was smoking when he invented calculus. We do know, however, that as Europe's premiere alchemist he worked with a lot of mercury, which could have explained a lot. He also has a unit of force named after him: 1 Newton is equal to the force required to accelerate one kilogram at one meter per second squared.

Newton was the second holder of the most famous academic chair in the world: the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University. Dr. Stephen Hawking is the current holder. The android Data, according to some sources, is due to hold the chair in 2395.

After decades of working alone and refusing to publish any of his many findings (Newton would never have made it in modern academic society, whose well-known motto is "publish or perish!") Newton came into his own late in life through family connections that made him Master of the Mint, responsible for all British currency. He was also made President of the British Royal Society at this time as well. Newton found power intoxicating and according to some sources used it punitively against people who he thought were holding him back, most notably Britain's first Astronomer Royal, Rev. John Flamsteed.

Isaac is also the namesake for a couple of noteworthy telescopes currently in operation, namely the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory, and the Isaac Newton Telescope, a 2.5-meter at La Palma, Spain. He was also a character in Neal Stephenson's recent System of the World novels.

Newton is also a town right next door to where Aaron (Watertown) and Travis (Boston) live. It is famous for being the namesake of the Fig Newton and birthplace of the creator of Family Guy.

Mmmm, fig newtons....