Andrea Galvani Italy, b. 1973
Newton famously stated, “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” To formulate his theory of gravity, Newton looked to the laws of planetary motion introduced by Johannes Kepler. Applying integral calculus, Newton discovered an inverse square relation between force and distance. In this equation, F is the attractive force, d is the distance, m is the mass of the two objects, and G is the gravitational constant. Newton’s revelation was profound. His calculations provided mathematical proof that the same force acts upon terrestrial and celestial objects—gravity is universal. Although his theory was eventually superseded by Albert Einstein’s (1879-1955) general relativity, Newton’s equations for gravity are so effective, they are still used today to send satellites and rocket ships to space.