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A comment on July 5, 1687: When Newton Explained Why You Don't Float Away.

Re:July 5, 1687: When Newton Explained Why You Don't Float Away by progre on Sunday July 06, 2025 @03:30AM (#44478606)
To me, the funniest part of why Principica was bankrolled by Edmund Halley is that is was supposed to be funded by the Royal Academy. Only, their previous publishing project "The history of fishes" had faceplanted and they had no money.

Also, when Principica was funded and Halley was himself short on cash, RA decided that they could not afford to actually pay him money (he was the RA secretary). Instead he would get copies of The History of fishes

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Re:July 5, 1687: When Newton Explained Why You Don't Float Away by ykonstant on Sunday July 06, 2025 @04:17AM (#44478807)
He ended up swimming with the history of fishes.
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Re:July 5, 1687: When Newton Explained Why You Don't Float Away by zabzonk on Sunday July 06, 2025 @05:11AM (#44479055)
sleeping, surely?
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Re:July 5, 1687: When Newton Explained Why You Don't Float Away by perihelions on Sunday July 06, 2025 @05:14AM (#44479085)
I enjoyed this anecdote. As gratitude, please accept this copy of History of Fishes

https://archive.org/details/francisciwillugh00will/page/n321...

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Re:July 5, 1687: When Newton Explained Why You Don't Float Away by moffkalast on Sunday July 06, 2025 @01:28PM (#44482516)
Eight hundred pages? Well at least he got his money's worth.
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Re:July 5, 1687: When Newton Explained Why You Don't Float Away by metalman on Sunday July 06, 2025 @05:46AM (#44479243)
wait! wait! so you are saying that there is an official exchange rate for fish books to pounds strerling, guinies? all I can say is that hopefully someone keeps a copy of the fish book next to a copy of the Principica as a demonstration/proof of the vast leap and gap that suddenly occured
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Re:July 5, 1687: When Newton Explained Why You Don't Float Away by dotancohen on Sunday July 06, 2025 @06:30AM (#44479467)
Or as an example of he who gets the funds, not necessarily being the worthy of the two.

Many in academia might like to remember this example.

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