“It’s partly the problem of what happens when you become famous and bored.”
What sounds like a description of the latest rehab-destined movie star is instead how science writer Tom Levenson introduced me to Sir Isaac Newton’s unexpected transition from one of the greatest scientists of his time to a detective doggedly pursuing criminals.
I interviewed Tom recently on Skeptically Speaking about his book Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective Career of the World’s Greatest Scientist. It tells the compelling story of Newton leaving his position as Lucasian Professor at Cambridge to become Warden of the Royal Mint. Not unexpectedly, he put his impeccable experiment skills to work improving the Mint’s production processes. More surprisingly, and reluctantly at first, he was drawn into battle with members of London’s underground working to produce fake and devalued coins.
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
