Physical Attraction

So in this episode, I am fortunate enough to interview Cornelius Schilt – perhaps better known to the world by his blog title, Corpus Newtonicum, which you can go and read at Corpus Newtonicum.wordpress.com. He is a DPhil student at the University of Oxford, studying the History of Science, and focused on the life, career, and works of Isaac Newton. What's more, he just handed in his thesis the day before I conducted this interview – best of luck on the viva, CJ! In this, the second part of our interview, we talk about the context of the philosophy of time and Newton's philosophy of the universe, Newton's personal life, his alchemy, his legacy.

Our guest today was CJ Schilt, a History of Science DPhil student here at Oxford – in a few weeks' time, I have no doubt, Dr Schilt. If you want to find out more, you can follow him on Twitter, and do visit the blog Corpus Newtonicum. You can also check out the newton project atwww.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk which CJ contributed to – an attempt to transcribe all of Newton's works. In the meantime, for us – subscribe to the sister podcast, Autocracy Now, which deals with the history of notorious dictators. Follow us on Twitter @physicspod. If you visited the website at www.physicspodcast.com, you'd be able to use the contact form to send us any of your comments, questions, or concerns. You'd also be able to donate to the show if you wished, or purchase some of the bonus episodes I've created for the low low price of $3 using the Paypal link. But, of course, the best thing you can do to support the show is always to tell as many of your friends as possible about the show – listeners make it all worthwhile!

So in this episode, I am fortunate enough to interview Cornelis Schilt – perhaps better known to the world by his blog title, Corpus Newtonicum, which you can go and read at Corpus Newtonicum.wordpress.com. He is a DPhil student at the University of Oxford, studying the History of Science, and focused on the life, career, and works of Isaac Newton. What's more, he just handed in his thesis the day before I conducted this interview – best of luck on the viva, CJ! In this, the first part of our interview, we discuss Newton's less well-known works, his attempts to understand chronology, and how his religious faith predominated in his life.

If you want to find out more, you can follow him on Twitter, and do visit the blog Corpus Newtonicum. You can also check out the newton project atwww.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk which CJ contributed to – an attempt to transcribe all of Newton's works. In the meantime, for us – subscribe to the sister podcast, Autocracy Now, which deals with the history of notorious dictators. Follow us on Twitter @physicspod. If you visited the website at www.physicspodcast.com, you'd be able to use the contact form to send us any of your comments, questions, or concerns. You'd also be able to donate to the show if you wished, or purchase some of the bonus episodes I've created for the low low price of $3 using the Paypal link. But, of course, the best thing you can do to support the show is always to tell as many of your friends as possible about the show – listeners make it all worthwhile!

To keep you all updated on the goings-on at my other podcast, I'm presenting a Stalin Omnibus with all of the episodes that have released since the last time Autocracy Now appeared on my feed. Episode IV: Revolution In The Economy After consolidating power over his Bolshevik rivals, Stalin dispensed with Lenin's pseudo-capitalist NEP and replaced it with the top-down bureaucratic nightmare that was the Five-Year Plans. Episode V: Nadya and Kirov In the early 1930s, two mysterious (at the time) deaths occurred to people who were close to Stalin as he consolidated power as the supreme leader of the USSR.

Episode VI: Devouring the Children After the death of Kirov, Stalin would turn his wrath towards the Old Bolsheviks that remained as key revolutionary figures in his own right. His fellow Communists could remember a time when Stalin was not Lenin's divinely appointed successor; and for that, they had to be destroyed.

Episode VII: The Common Enemy of Mankind Stalin's "Great Terror" was not limited to eliminating his political rivals. Soon enough, detentions and executions were occurring according by quota. In 1937, the killing and persecution rose to its virtually indiscriminate peak. Follow us on Twitter @autocracynow, our sister podcast @physicspod, and subscribe to the show where-ever you listen to podcasts. Visit our online home at www.autocracynow.libsyn.com. If you want to support independent podcasters and enjoyed this show, consider donating to help keep us going, or buying a bonus episode of the physics show - details on the website at www.physicspodcast.com

A primer episode on the world of antimatter. Every particle has its antiparticle equivalent - and if they ever meet, it's annihilation. You can find us online at www.physicspodcast.com

On Twitter @physicspod On Facebook as Physical Attraction And check out my other show about the life of Stalin: Autocracy Now www.autocracynow.libsyn.com

Alongside all of his scientific achievements, there is another fascinating side to Newton - one intimately linked with the supernatural, even the occult. A belief in alchemy, an attempt to establish a new chronology, hunting through the Bible for the ability to predict the future: were these aspects to Newton's intellect contrary to his rationality, or did they actually feed into his studies of physics? And, as we bring his life to its conclusion, we'll try to answer Keynes' question: Was Newton the first of the physicists, or the last of the magicians? You can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts, and visit our website at www.physicspodcast.com where you'll be able to find all the archived episodes of the show, a contact form that will allow you to ask me questions or make any comments, and the option to donate or subscribe via our Patreon in exchange for bonus episodes. You can follow us on Twitter @physicspod and on Facebook at Physical Attraction. Why not subscribe to our sister podcast at Autocracy Now at www.autocracynow.libsyn.com - focusing on the lives of famous dictators.

In this episode, we get into the heart of Isaac Newton's scientific contribution. His laws of mechanics and gravitation fundamentally changed the way that we viewed both motion, and one of the (now four) fundamental forces. They would become the theory that dominated our understanding for the next three centuries, and even when relativity is discovered, Newton's laws are accurate enough across a wide enough range of circumstances to allow us to put humans on the Moon. We'll dive into these laws, explain them, and discuss how they govern so many phenomena in the world around us - from snooker to the cosmos. You can subscribe to the show on iTunes or where-ever you get your podcasts, and visit our website at www.physicspodcast.com where you'll find a contact form to get in touch with the show, and donate buttons if you want to help the show out. Also listen to our sibling podcast www.autocracynow.libsyn.com - Autocracy Now, about the lives of famous dictators: currently, Stalin.

We discuss some of Isaac Newton's most notable discoveries, from the invention of calculus (simultaneously with Leibniz) and his early grappling and wrestling with a physical theory of light. Was Newton contemplating wave-particle duality in the 17th century? You can follow the podcast on Twitter @physicspod and follow us on Facebook at the Physical Attraction page. Visit our website at www.physicspodcast.com where you can find A YEAR'S WORTH of back episodes, alongside donation links and opportunities to buy bonus episodes if you want to thank the show and help us keep running. There's also a contact form for any comments, concerns, questions, or feedback! And you can listen to our sister show, about historical dictators - currently an epic series on the life and times of Joseph Stalin - over on Autocracy Now's feed - www.autocracynow.libsyn.com

As Lenin's health declined, Stalin sought to outmanouver his rivals in the Bolshevik party and consolidate single-handed, dictatorial control over Russia.

Follow us on Twitter @autocracynow, our sister podcast @physicspod, and subscribe to the show where-ever you listen to podcasts. Visit our online home at www.autocracynow.libsyn.com. If you want to support independent podcasters and enjoyed this show, consider donating to help keep us going, or buying a bonus episode of the physics show - details on the website at www.physicspodcast.com

Isaac Newton made an almost incomparable contribution to physics - practically founding the field with his famous Laws that defined the mechanics of how bodies move for centuries, and by discovering gravity when an apple hit his head. At least, that's the story we all learn in school. But this skips a lot of the crucial history of physics between Aristotle and the 17th century - and, what's more, Isaac Newton was not just a physicist. He was the last of the magicians. In this, the first episode in our series about Isaac Newton, we cover physics before Newton, and then his childhood and early life. Were there signs of the genius that he would later become? You can find all our past episodes at www.physicspodcast.com where you will also find an opportunity to donate to the show if you like what we do, via Paypal or Patreon, in exchange for bonus episodes! You can also listen to our sister podcast, about historical dictators, via www.autocracynow.libsyn.com And follow us on Twitter @physicspod or visit the Facebook page for Physical Attraction... But most of all, tell your friends and take care.

Should we be talking about a one-world government to head off existential threats? What about schemes to preserve human genetic information, or launch relics from our civilisation to land on the moon? Is worrying about the end of the world even worthwhile? What can we practically do to reduce the risks for our civilisation? These are the questions that this, the very last episode in our TEOTWAWKI series (okay... for now...) will explore. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Twitter: @physicspod Facebook: Physical Attraction Website: www.physicspodcast.com -> where you'll find every episode we've ever released, -> a contact form for more information and to send in your listener questions, -> and our Patreon and Paypal accounts for donations. As always, the best way to help out with what we do is to tell everyone about the show. And don't forget you can listen to our sister podcast, Autocracy Now, about the lives of various dictators - currently Stalin - wherever you listen to podcasts, or at www.autocracynow.libsyn.com We're having a week to write and research and when we come back, we'll be talking about Isaac Newton.