On January 4, 1643, Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He was the only son of a wealthy, farming mother. Newton was born prematurely and was not expected to survive, but he overcame all odds. Shortly after his birth, his mother, Hannah, left to marry a rich man, leaving Isaac in the care of his grandmother. Newton presented his invention on optics to the Royal Academy, which led him to prove his theory of light and color. This is his first major public achievement, but not everyone is impressed. Robert Hooke, who had already studied optics, was among those who were not enthusiastic about Newton's work. Newton worked day and night for almost two years on Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, which translates to Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. This book is now considered the most influential work in physics and perhaps in all of science. We still talk about Newton today because of his...