MikeFarm
Gold Member
Hi all
"If I have seen a further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
I often hear the saying today. It can be traced back to at least the 12th century. One of the more famous uses of it is by Isaac Newton who wrote a variation of this in a letter to the rival scientist Robert Hooke in 1676: "If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
One would think that Newton was being very unassuming and acknowledging his success to be founded upon the work of others. However context is all important - Robert Hooke was a hunchback. Seems to me that this quote in the letter was a very witty and nasty stab at Hooke. The power of words is can be very sharp.
Mike
"If I have seen a further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
I often hear the saying today. It can be traced back to at least the 12th century. One of the more famous uses of it is by Isaac Newton who wrote a variation of this in a letter to the rival scientist Robert Hooke in 1676: "If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
One would think that Newton was being very unassuming and acknowledging his success to be founded upon the work of others. However context is all important - Robert Hooke was a hunchback. Seems to me that this quote in the letter was a very witty and nasty stab at Hooke. The power of words is can be very sharp.
Mike