The Path to Newton is a project that tracks the development of ideas about the universe and the causal mechanisms that define it across human history. Beginning with the ancient naked-eye astronomy of the Babylonians, through the natural philosophizing of Ancient Greece and the development of key mathematical advances in India and the Middle East, The Path to Newton ultimately culminates in the development of Isaac Newton's Theory of Gravity. Atop generations of scientific advancement across cultures and continents and the groundwork laid by his contemporary interlocutors in Renaissance Europe, Newton formulated a genuinely predictive theory of gravity, which definitely placed the Sun at the center of the solar system and for the first time could mathematically predict the machinations of heavenly bodies. This work is a picture of that history: the immense inputs of time, effort, and thought put together into a predictive theory which Newton completed, but hardly began. The goal of this project is not to celebrate Newton's discovery in isolation, but to highlight the path that made it possible.

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This site cannot hold the visuals of the Path to Newton in their entirety. To enjoy this project in full, view it at https://path-to.org/newton.html.
 

To learn more about how the Path to Newton can be used in teaching science through its history, come over to the Path-To Foundation website (new in 2022!).

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For more Prediction Project resources related to the Path to Newton, try these, below!

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