African Emperor Moth |
Sir Isaac had an
accomplished artisan fashion for him a small scale model of our solar system,
which was to be put in a room in Newton’s home when completed. The assignment
was finished and installed on a large table.
The workman had done a very commendable job, simulating not only the various sizes of the planets and their relative proximities, but also constructing the model so that everything rotated and orbited when a crank was turned. It was an interesting, even fascinating work, as you can imagine, particularly to anyone schooled in the sciences.
The workman had done a very commendable job, simulating not only the various sizes of the planets and their relative proximities, but also constructing the model so that everything rotated and orbited when a crank was turned. It was an interesting, even fascinating work, as you can imagine, particularly to anyone schooled in the sciences.
One of Sir
Isaac’s colleagues, a scientist and an atheist, came by for a visit. Seeing the
model, he was naturally intrigued, and proceeded to examine it with undisguised
admiration for the high quality of the workmanship. “My, what an exquisite
thing this is!” he exclaimed. “Who made it?”
Paying little
attention to him, Sir Isaac answered, “Nobody.”
Stopping his
inspection, the visitor turned and said, “Evidently you did not understand my
question. I asked who made this.”
Newton, enjoying
himself immensely no doubt, replied in a still more serious tone, “Nobody. What
you see just happened to assume the form it now has.”
“You must think
I am a fool!” the visitor retorted heatedly, “Of course somebody made it, and
he is a genius, and I would like to know who he is!”
Newton then
spoke to his friend in a polite yet firm way: “This thing is but a puny
imitation of a much grander system whose laws you know, and I am not able to
convince you that this mere toy is without a designer or maker; yet you profess
to believe that the great original from which the design is taken has come into
being without either designer or maker! Now tell me by what sort of reasoning
do you reach such an incongruous conclusion?”
(From: A Test: Created or Not Created)
(From: A Test: Created or Not Created)
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