One of the most prestigious scientific associations in the world is the Royal Society (The Royal Society of London for improving Natural Knowledge), founded in 1660. In those days science was very much an offshoot of experimental philosophy, and the RS was established to encourage physico-mathematical experimental learningBritannica.
Perhaps the most famous president of the RS, from 1703 to 1727, was Sir Isaac Newton whose works on white light, the laws of motion, gravity and calculus laid the groundwork for much of modern physics and mathematics. Newtonian Physics (or Mechanics) became the classical definition of a mechanical universe. A universe of certainty and predictability. A world view which underpinned the industrial revolution.
Given the mechanical world view associated with Newton, and the manner in which adherents of classical Newtonian Mechanics attack various reports of psychic phenomena, it is more than ironic to discover that classical science was almost a sideline for Newton. His real inte ... read more