Isaac Newton's scientific discoveries go online (photos)
The Cambridge University Library today published scanned papers from the famed scientist, including some of the mathematics he developed to arrive at the principles of what are now called "Newtonian physics."
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Here's the original cover of Newton's "Waste Book," a notebook in which he developed much of his important work on calculus. He started using the notebook in 1664 when he was away from Cambridge due to the plague.
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Cambridge manuscript
Isaac Newton's work in mathematics developed the foundations for the laws of motion and the existence of gravity as a force.
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'Not fit to be printed'
The first page of one of Newton's notebooks, dated 1661, includes the notation "Not fit to be printed."
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Newton’s work on optics – from one of his notebooks
In 1670, Newton was researching the refraction of light and developing his theory of color. He demonstrated that a prism could separate white light into a spectrum of colors, and eventually built the first known functional reflecting telescope, today known as the Newtonian telescope.
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Calculation in the 'Waste Book'
Some calculations on a page in the "Waste Book," in which Newton discovered the law of centrifugal force.
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Photographer captures Principia on conservation cradle
An 80-megapixel camera was used to photograph Newton's Principia, seen here on the conservation cradle at the University of Cambridge.
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First edition of Newton's Principia
An instant classic: Sir Isaac Newton's Principia laid out his the mathematical foundation for gravity and the laws of motion.
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Fire damage
Some of the pages of the first addition of the Principia have suffered damage from fire.
