I see… Thanks!
]]>I’ve made clear that that was a citation by Gell-Mann, and added his own commentary on the passage.
]]>Thanks! I have also added the pointer at Isaac Newton.
But I admit that I don’t understand the quote:
So after
For Nature is very consonant and conformable to her self…
you continue the Newton quote with:
For we must learn from the phaenomena of nature what bodies attract one another, and what are the laws and properties of the attraction, before we enquire the cause by which the attraction is perform’d, the attractions of gravity, magnetism and electricity, react to very sensible distances, and so have been observed by vulgar eyes, and there may be others which reach to so small distances as hitherto escape observation; and perhaps electrical attraction may react to such small distances, even without being excited by friction.
If I were to paraphrase this briefly, it seems to say this:
1) We have to make accurate observations before drawing conclusions about causation.
2) The forces of gravity and electromagnetism can be observed on large distances with the naked eye, but maybe there is more going on at small scales.”
That doesn’t seem to be among the more profound things Newton may have said(?)
And what’s it got to do with the idea that “Nature is very consonant and conformable to her self”?
]]>Quite timely with that discussion elsewhere on massless long range forces.
]]>Started something, but have to dash.
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