Michael Davis wrote:

snipo

Newton is a paradox. He is both one of the first true scientists, 
and one of the last sorcerers.

	One of the more interesting theory i have read about Newton was that his 
alchemy experiments later on in life were using mercury. It is claims that a lock 
of his hair was tested and found to have extremely high levels of it. I remember 
reading that recently, as early as this week?

He dabbled in mysticism and the 
occult, held some rather unconventional views of the "Holy 
Trinity" that probably would have gotten him into lots of trouble 
if he had published them in his lifetime, never took holy orders 
as was customary when being appointed Lucasian chair of Trinity 
College, and refused his final communion. He seemed to have 
trouble with the "party line" according to the Anglican Church, 
and to be casting around, looking for something he could believe in.

	Yes, he may have problems with the doctrine of the Anglican Church, but 
then who doesn't :-) However he was very much devoted to a "G*d" and study of the 
Bible.

My impression of Newton has always been one of a man who is 
confused and unsure about his beliefs. Fanatics are always certain 
they know the absolute truth. I can't agree that Newton was a fanatic.

	I think that we have been looking at this from different time frames, to 
wit, if you look he is rather flighty, he goes from gravity to optics, to alchemy 
to theology etc. But in each case while doing his work he was fanatical about. I 
offer two pieces of evidence to consider: 1) when he discovered calculas but 
published it after Leibniz's own discovery of it, Newton attacked Leibniz even 
after his death. Now as you know a fanatic never let anything drop. 2) If the 
story is true that Newton's mercury levels were very high due to his alchemy, one 
of the symptons of mercury poisoning is such obsessive behavior. As we all know, 
obsessive behavior is another sign of a fanatic.

	I should note that there are other examples of Newtons behavior that 
border on borishness in the extreme including one funny incident i would like to 
share.

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	"If i have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of
giants."

	I think most people are unfamiliar with the circumstances and
history around this quote. It was in a letter to a misshapened dwarf named
Robert Hooke (1635-1703) by Issac Newton (1642-1727) to be an insult to
Hooke's "of middling stature, something crooked, pale faced... head is
large, eyes poping."

	It was written on Feb. 5, 1675, as Newton defended himself against
Hooke's claims of discoveries in optics and calculus. Newton, himself
stole the line from a then famous work called Anatomy of Melancholy.

	Essential, what Newton meant to say to Hooke was that Newton
learned only from his great predecessors and not (Hooke) some dwarf.

	Cf: Richard Zacks, An Underground Education, Double day, 1997 P.
37.
	
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		Just Thought I Should Mention It