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Dear Librarian,
Sir Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists who ever lived.
He invented calculus, figured out the composition of light, and
determined the laws of gravity and motion. His rules about how
objects move were so accurate that—more than 300 years
later—they are still being used to launch rockets and
understand space travel.
But research is uncovering a Newton no one ever knew existed. The
study of Newton's own personal papers, many written in secret code,
is bringing to light an intense, private man for whom religion and
science were inseparable. Historians now know that Newton owned more
than 30 Bibles, and that he used alchemy as an avenue to study the
nature of matter. On November 15, tune into NOVA's "Newton's Dark
Secrets" to discover a complete picture of this enigmatic
man—his science, his personal beliefs, and the times in which
he lived.
With generous support from the National Science Foundation, we've
produced this library resource kit to accompany the program. The
kit, which has been reviewed by a national board of public
librarians, has been designed for libraries of all sizes and
visitors of all ages. Use the display sheets to illuminate Newton's
work in gravity, light, and alchemy; conduct the activities to
provide children with the sense of wonder Newton felt about the
natural world; and engage visitors with handouts that offer doorways
into Newton's life and the science that excited him.
We hope you will use this library kit to create science programming
that helps your community gain insight into who Newton really was
and how his science changed our view of the world. We would love to
hear how this kit works for you; please send your comments to
NOVA_librarykits@wgbh.org. Your feedback will help ensure
that future projects like this one are interesting and useful to all
librarians.
Paula S. Apsell
NOVA Executive Producer
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