Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!KESTREL.ARPA!ladkin
From: ladkin@KESTREL.ARPA (Peter Ladkin)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.digest
Subject: another wonderful comment
Message-ID: <8801292023.AA19021@kestrel>
Date: 29 Jan 88 19:23:26 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
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Approved: ailist@kl.sri.com


I read the following in the ailist today:

> The point is of course, that while Newton originated Newtonian physics, 
> and thus it is right to expect all references to this field to lead 
> back to him, at the time he did his research he was a nobody just 
> like Eric Drexler. 

A cursory survey of history would show this is a much mistaken view
of Newton.  I think he was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics when he 
did the physics.  His reputation was well established.

The basic point being made is that every important researcher has a
first work.  This is true.  But it doesn't help to mix it up in
false history.

peter ladkin
ladkin@kestrel.arpa