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Student ID: 1155046924
UGFN1000 in Dialogue with Nature 8 Oct 2014
Topic 2
One day, Newton walks around in the Heaven, and sees a man dropping two balls again and again. Newton is very curious, so he walks near and asks that man, “Hello. What are you doing?”
The man gives him a glance, and responds, “I’m doing an experiment. You see, the heavier ball falls faster than the lighter one.”
Newton laughs, “You forget the air fraction. The lighter ball is obviously larger than the heavier one!”
The man is a little shocked and says, “I have taken it into account, because both of the two balls fall through the same media (Lindberg 31). The natural result tells us that the heavier one falls faster. You cannot deny it!”
Newton replies, “Maybe the result tells you that, but what if you are dropping cotton and iron of the same weight?”
The man is astonished, and says, “I have never heard of that before, but based on what I have learned, they should fall down at the same time. I’m Aristotle. You are an interesting man. Who are you?”
Newton says, “I’m Newton, a mathematician and physicist. I’m sorry but I’d like to tell you that what you have learned is wrong. Objects of different weight will fall down at the same time.”
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Aristotle replies uncompromisingly, “I don’t believe that. You have seen the result. The nature says it all.”
Newton argues, “The nature says too much, because there are other factors that may affect your judgment. If you only rely on the nature and common sense without reasoning, you will not get the truth (Lindberg 60).”
Aristotle says impatiently, “You have got a lot to say. We are finding the secrets behind the nature. Without natural results, what else can we base on? You mean the motion is not perfect enough. The only perfect movement is in the heavens. There planets move along perfect circles, with static movers in the center (Lindberg 32). That is different from the terrestrial motion. ”
Newton explains, “Actually planets move along ellipses, and the movement is not different from the terrestrial motion (Cohen 60). Planets are driven by the same force as what makes the ball fall (Cohen 61). The so-called movers are not static at all, because the movers are also planets and are moving like other planets. I have used my theory to prove it, and there are a lot of successful predictions using my theory. There is only one rule in the whole world!”
After listening to Newton, Aristotle is lost in thought. He cannot accept another theoretical system that is totally different from his, because Aristotle’s system is also strong and perfect, and at least works well and explains many phenomena in his ages. After a while, he smiles, and says peacefully, “Physics is beautiful, isn’t it? All of us are trying to explain the real world, with different points of view. I’m proud of my theory, because it can explain most of the things in our life. You are much younger than me. Maybe at your age you have more
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accurate data, and have powerful tools to find the secrets behind nature. My theory may be enough for people to use to explain the phenomena they meet every day, which is enough for many people, but as a physicist, I’d like to study your theory to see whether it matches the real world.”
Newton smiles, “Thank you for your respect, and thank you for raising so many questions of our nature. Without you, Physics will not be as developed as it is now. Like what your mentor Plato said, we are all like slaves in the cave, and what we see is restricted, but we are trying to find the world outside the cave (Plato 6). Maybe our theories are not perfect, but our efforts will help the development of Physics, and help future generations to find the secrets.” Aristotle smiles, “Or maybe there is no real world outside the cave (Lindberg 19). Let’s wait for the good news of the future!”
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Works Cited
David C. Lindberg, the Beginnings of Western Science: The European Scientific Tradition in
Philosophical, Religious, and Institutional Context, Prehistory to A.D. 1450 (2 ed.), University of Chicago Press, 1992, 2007 by the University of Chicago, Rpt. in In Dialogue with Nature: Textbook for General Education Foundation Programme. 2nd ed. Hong Kong: Office of University General Education, 2012. 11-48.
I. Bernard Cohen, The Birth of a New Physics: Revised and Updated., W. W. Norton &
Company, Inc, 1985 by I. Bernard Cohen, 1960 by Educational Services Incorporated, Rpt. in In Dialogue with Nature: Textbook for General Education Foundation Programme. 2 ed. Hong Kong: Office of University General Education, 2012. 49-62.
Plato, Translated by C. D. C. Reeve, Republic, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, 2004, Rpt. in
In Dialogue with Nature: Textbook for General Education Foundation Programme. 2 ed. Hong Kong: Office of University General Education, 2012. 5-10.
(671 words)
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