Jumper and Isaac Newton

So this isn't a post complaining about the use of physics (particularly Newtonian Mechanics) in Jumper, but actually simply a post about having seen Jumper over the weekend, and having finished reading a biography of Isaac Newton over the weekend as well.

Jumper:
I saw Jumper on Saturday afternoon. The movie had so much potential which remained so completely unfulfilled. The premise was interesting and fun, but it seems the writers just didn't even try with the story line. There was no resolution, no conclusion, things that needed explanation were just left hanging for no reason. Honestly, I could have filled in the plot holes to at least a sufficient level so that you don't leave the theater thinking, "What? that wasn't an ending." The idea really could have been so much better, but they didn't even try. It's like someone came up with an idea for some action scenes, and wrote a movie that could somehow incorporate those scenes, but didn't bother to fill in any of the details in the rest of the movie.

Isaac Newton:
I finished reading "Isaac Newton" by James Gleick late last night. I was surprised to learn that Newton's first published work was actually about light and optics. He kept almost all of his work to himself. He refused to have his work published, or even to discuss it with other scientists because he didn't want people bothering him with silly questions or arguing with him about his results. He spent lots of energy researching the Christian church and trying to pick apart the truth from the things that had crept into the religion over the hundreds of years. He, heretically, did not believe in the Holy Trinity and in his personal writings believed that Christ and the Holy Ghost received their glory through God the Father, and all three were quite separate beings.

He finally published his work on gravity when another scientist kept pestering him about the shape that would be created by a body influenced by an inverse square law (as gravity was determined to operate under). Newton had worked out all the details of gravity years before, so finally replied. However, he didn't just answer the question by saying the shape would be an ellipse. Instead he was spurred to write 3 volumes describing all of his gravitational work. He was even careful to avoid alienating the scientific community by not including his Calculus, but instead using intense geometrical arguments to achieve the same results. His work caused quite an uproar, and his nemesis, Leibniz (who simultaneously invented Calculus with a different notation), made quite a fool of himself by wrongly arguing with Newton on several points.

Newton was an interesting guy. Though the power he acquired went quite to his head. He ran the Royal Mint and felt quite strongly about having counterfeiters put to death. When made head of the Royal Society he purged the Society of figures he didn't like.

Overall he was a very interesting man. Almost driven mad by his work and refusal to admit being wrong. Any question about the veracity of his work was met with immediate wrath, and then seclusion so as to not have to hear about it.

I enjoyed the book.