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"Marbles" photo by WebShots
Everybody knows of Isaac Newton's famed encounter with a falling
apple, and how Newton introduced the laws of gravity and
revolutionized astronomical studies.
But few know that if it weren't for Edmund
Halley, the world may
never have heard of Newton.
Halley was the one who challenged
Newton
to think through his original theories. He corrected Newton's
mathematical errors and prepared geomet-rical figures to support his
discoveries. It was Halley who coaxed the hesitant
Newton to write
his great work, Mathematical Principals of Natural
Philosophy.
And it was Halley who
edited and supervised its publication,
financing its printing even though Newton
was wealthier and
could better afford the cost.
Historians have called Halley's relationship with
Newton one of the
most selfless examples in science. Newton began almost immediately
to reap the rewards of prominence; Halley received little credit.
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Halley's Comet
He did use the principles Newton developed to predict the orbit and
return of a comet that would later bear his name, but since Halley's
Comet only returns every 76 years, few hear his name. Still,
Halley
didn't care who received credit as long as the cause of science was
advanced. He was content to live without fame.
 
EDMUND
HALLEY
ISAAC
NEWTON
SOMETIMES JUST THE REWARD OF
what WE ARE DOING
FAR OUTWEIGHS THE RECOGNITION WE OFTEN
THINK
WE NEED TO HAVE.
But he
that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And
whosoever shall exalt himself shall be debased; and
he
that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Matthew 23:11,12 | 
