Back in December, reviewing a review of a biography of Arthur Koestler, I noted, in connection with Koestler's interest in paranormal phenomena, that the blind spots of geniuses is an interesting topic. Koestler's is actually a fairly pale case compared, say, to Isaac Newton. Martin Gardner's essay on Newton in Did Adam and Eve Have Navels?--I recommend the whole thing--begins with the observation that there are three Newtons. The first is the one most of us know about, the genius who "invented calculus, discovered the binomial theorem, introduced polar coordinates, proved that white light was a mixture of colors, explained the rainbow, built the first reflecting telescope, and showed that the force causing apples to fall is the same as the force that guides the planets, moons, and comets and produces tides."
The second Newton was an alchemist and the third a Protestant fundamentalist. The alchemist "struggled for decades to turn base metals into gold." The fundamentalist was obsessed with biblical prophecies and left behind a million words on the Book of Revelation and the dream visions of the Old Testament's Daniel. What a lot of intellectual energy he devoted to these topics! Had he been otherwise a miscreant I'd say it is good he had amusements to keep him off the street. But for Isaac Newton--what a waste!
If Newton was prone to large errors, you should probably consider the possibility that your most cherished belief is bunk--even if you are a genius.
Comments