RE: Direction in evolution, from Re: Are there things that don't evolve?

I have never heard such a story about Newton. This by itself is hardly
decisive, but it may be important. My doctoral advisor, the late Richard S
Westfall, was at the time of his death the world's leading authority on
Newton, and I did a chapter about Newton's theology in my dissertation.
Furthermore, as far as I know the original four mechanical mini-solar system
models (sun, moon & earth alone) were made between 1704 and 1709 by two
London craftsmen, George Graham and Thomas Tompion. John Rowley's copy of
one of them was sent to Robert Boyle's nephew Charles Boyle, Fourth Earl of
Orrery, and thus such a machine is now called "orrery". [NB: Ten years ago
I saw an early exemplar in a museum at Williamsburg, VA, where it was said
that Robert Boyle was the Earl of Orrery, but that is nonsense although I
don't think the staff there believed me: when you teach at a place called
"Messiah College" rather than "Harvard" or "Penn State," a lot of people are
a priori incredulous about your "knowledge" and more inclined to trust their
own ignorance. It's something you learn to live with.]

Thomas Wright (also of London) built "the Grand Orrery," a full solar
system as then known, at some point soon after.

Although Newton had some mechanical ability, I frankly doubt that he would
have known how to construct an orrery--he'd have understood how it works,
just as many of us understand how combustion engines work but we can't build
them ourselves.

ted
Received on Wed Apr 5 13:08:48 2006