In 1666, English scientist Sir Isaac Newton was in his garden in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire when he noticed an apple fall from a tree. Legend has it that the apple landed on his head, and he instantly came up with the concept of universal gravitation.
In actual fact, the apple didn't land on his head and his ideas on gravitation didn't come fully formed in his mind until twenty years later.
Now a piece of the world's most famous apple tree is to be launched into space.
The chunk is normally in the prized possession of the Royal Society, the world's oldest scientific institution, but will be launched on the space shuttle Atlantis on its next mission to the International Space Station.
British astronaut Piers Sellers will carry the piece as part of the Royal Society's 350th anniversary celebrations.
Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree to defy Earth's gravity on Nasa space flight
By Daily Mail Reporters
10th May 2010
Daily Mail
A piece of the apple tree that inspired Sir Isaac Newton's theory of gravity is set to defy the force by being sent into space.
The four inch section of wood is normally held in the Royal Society's archives, but it will be launched on the space shuttle Atlantis on its next mission to the International Space Station.
It will be carried by British-born astronaut Dr Piers Sellers as part of the academic institution's 350th anniversary celebrations.
Astronaut Piers Sellers (foreground) practices a shuttle launch during a training session. He will carry a piece of Isaac Newton's famous apple tree into space
The tree sample will be accompanied on its trip into space by an image of Sir Isaac, also donated by the Royal Society.
Dr Sellers, who was born in Crowborough, Sussex, said: 'We're delighted to take this piece of Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree to orbit.
While it's up there, it will be experiencing no gravity, so if it had an apple on it, the apple wouldn't fall.
'I'm pretty sure that Sir Isaac would have loved to see this, assuming he wasn't spacesick, as it would have proved his first law of motion to be correct.'
The sliver of wood comes from the tree from which an apple fell nearly 350 years ago, which inspired Sir Isaac Newton.
He realised that gravity was the force of attraction between two objects and that an object with more mass exerted a greater force or pull. This meant the giant mass of Earth pulled objects towards it, which was why the apple fell down instead of floating in the air.
The section of wood is only a few inches long. It came from the tree which dropped the apple that inspired Sir Isaac Newton
Dr Sellers said: 'It's his personal apple tree ... that's really something, isn't it?'
When Sellers last flew in space in 2006, he carried up a gold medal that the society later presented to British physicist Stephen Hawking. This time around he will also take a flag for the 2012 London Olympics.
Isaac Newton lived from 1642 to 1727. He was an English scientist and mathematician
Lord Rees, Sir Isaac's successor as the current president of the Royal Society, said: 'We are both pleased and proud that such an extraordinary part of scientific history and important element of the Royal Society's archive collection can make this historic trip into space.
'Upon their return the piece of tree and picture of Newton will form part of the History of the Royal Society exhibition that the Society will be holding later this year and will then be held as a permanent exhibit at the Society.'
Nasa's space shuttle Atlantis will lift off for its final, 12-day mission, on May 14 carrying six crew members including Dr Sellers. The astronaut will return the wood to the Royal Society afterwards.
The Royal Society, which is the UK's national academy of science, is celebrating its 350th year.
As part of the anniversary celebration, the society in January made available online the 18th-century document detailing Newton's account of the famous apple incident, which occurred in the mid-1660s.
This is what William Stukeley wrote as told to him by Newton: 'It was occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood.
Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground, thought he to himself... Why should it not go sideways, or upwards? But constantly to the Earth's centre?
'Assuredly, the reason is, that the Earth draws it. There must be a drawing power in matter.'
dailymail.co.uk
In actual fact, the apple didn't land on his head and his ideas on gravitation didn't come fully formed in his mind until twenty years later.
Now a piece of the world's most famous apple tree is to be launched into space.
The chunk is normally in the prized possession of the Royal Society, the world's oldest scientific institution, but will be launched on the space shuttle Atlantis on its next mission to the International Space Station.
British astronaut Piers Sellers will carry the piece as part of the Royal Society's 350th anniversary celebrations.
Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree to defy Earth's gravity on Nasa space flight
By Daily Mail Reporters
10th May 2010
Daily Mail
A piece of the apple tree that inspired Sir Isaac Newton's theory of gravity is set to defy the force by being sent into space.
The four inch section of wood is normally held in the Royal Society's archives, but it will be launched on the space shuttle Atlantis on its next mission to the International Space Station.
It will be carried by British-born astronaut Dr Piers Sellers as part of the academic institution's 350th anniversary celebrations.
The tree sample will be accompanied on its trip into space by an image of Sir Isaac, also donated by the Royal Society.
Dr Sellers, who was born in Crowborough, Sussex, said: 'We're delighted to take this piece of Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree to orbit.
While it's up there, it will be experiencing no gravity, so if it had an apple on it, the apple wouldn't fall.
'I'm pretty sure that Sir Isaac would have loved to see this, assuming he wasn't spacesick, as it would have proved his first law of motion to be correct.'
The sliver of wood comes from the tree from which an apple fell nearly 350 years ago, which inspired Sir Isaac Newton.
He realised that gravity was the force of attraction between two objects and that an object with more mass exerted a greater force or pull. This meant the giant mass of Earth pulled objects towards it, which was why the apple fell down instead of floating in the air.
Dr Sellers said: 'It's his personal apple tree ... that's really something, isn't it?'
When Sellers last flew in space in 2006, he carried up a gold medal that the society later presented to British physicist Stephen Hawking. This time around he will also take a flag for the 2012 London Olympics.
Isaac Newton lived from 1642 to 1727. He was an English scientist and mathematician
Lord Rees, Sir Isaac's successor as the current president of the Royal Society, said: 'We are both pleased and proud that such an extraordinary part of scientific history and important element of the Royal Society's archive collection can make this historic trip into space.
'Upon their return the piece of tree and picture of Newton will form part of the History of the Royal Society exhibition that the Society will be holding later this year and will then be held as a permanent exhibit at the Society.'
Nasa's space shuttle Atlantis will lift off for its final, 12-day mission, on May 14 carrying six crew members including Dr Sellers. The astronaut will return the wood to the Royal Society afterwards.
The Royal Society, which is the UK's national academy of science, is celebrating its 350th year.
As part of the anniversary celebration, the society in January made available online the 18th-century document detailing Newton's account of the famous apple incident, which occurred in the mid-1660s.
This is what William Stukeley wrote as told to him by Newton: 'It was occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood.
Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground, thought he to himself... Why should it not go sideways, or upwards? But constantly to the Earth's centre?
'Assuredly, the reason is, that the Earth draws it. There must be a drawing power in matter.'
dailymail.co.uk