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I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.

Isaac Newton (attributed)

Science

The story behind the card

The earliest source is a note by the writer Joseph Spence, made around 1756 and first published in 1820: Lord Radnor told him that when Newton was asked how long South Sea Company shares would keep rising, he said he could not calculate the madness of the people. The comparison with heavenly bodies appears only in later retellings. The company's shares soared and then crashed in 1720, the South Sea Bubble. Newton is said to have lost about £20,000, a figure first printed in 1797.

Türkçe oku
Gök cisimlerinin hareketini hesaplayabilirim, ama insanların çılgınlığını değil.
Isaac Newton (atfedilir)

Bilinen en eski kaynak, yazar Joseph Spence'in 1756 dolaylarında tuttuğu ve ilk kez 1820'de yayımlanan bir nottur: Lord Radnor'ın anlattığına göre Newton'a Güney Denizi Şirketi hisselerinin daha ne kadar yükseleceği sorulduğunda, insanların çılgınlığını hesaplayamayacağını söylemiştir. Gök cisimleriyle yapılan karşılaştırma ancak sonraki anlatımlarda görülür. Şirketin hisseleri 1720'de önce fırladı, sonra çöktü; bu çöküş Güney Denizi Balonu olarak bilinir. Newton'un yaklaşık 20.000 sterlin kaybettiği ise ilk kez 1797'de yazıldı.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Isaac Newton
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