Philosophy 167: Class 13 - Part 6 - Priority Dispute Over Inverse Square: the Conflict Between Newton and Hooke, and the Incipience of De Motu.
Smith, George E. (George Edwin), 1938-
2014-12-02
Description
Synopsis: A dispute started over whether Hooke or Newton had first invented the inverse square law of force in orbital mechanics. Newton nearly stopped working on the project, but finally sent Halley a subsequently lost document believed to be titled De Motu.
Opening line: "This story has become legendary. Many people have embellished it. What's fascinating about it is we have exactly one ... read moresource of evidence about what happened."