Learn the truth behind the legend of Isaac Newton.

Isaac Newton is perhaps the most famous scientist of all time. But fame attracts myth – and much of Newton’s life is somewhat obscured by the anecdotal mistruths that are told about him. Whether it’s the story of his naughty dog Diamond accidentally setting Newton’s laboratory ablaze or the legend of how a falling apple led to Newton’s discovery of gravity, we’re all familiar with the basics.

But Newton is more than a story. His theorizing and discoveries remain as pertinent as ever. Even to this day, Newton’s theories of motion remain one of the first things we learn in science class at school.

But Newton is a fascinating character in his own right. And you’ll only understand what his ideas really meant when you learn a bit about the world he inhabited and how he changed it forever. It was a time of mystery and dark magic. Even Newton, as he rationalized the world around him, was not immune to the powers of the occult and mysticism.

His theories shook the world, but he was never uncontroversial, and he faced resistance at every turn.