Monday, May 10, 2010

Newton and the Counterfeiter

Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective Career of the World's Greatest Scientist a book by Thomas Levenson is about Isaac Newton and William Chaloner a notorious counterfeiter that Newton prosecuted when he was Warden of the Royal Mint.
While Newton was perhaps the greatest scientific genius of all time, and even a very competent functionary - as detailed in this book - he was strictly mortal in the realm of financial investments. He lost a fortune in the South Sea Bubble of 1720 which rankled him greatly, admitting "that he could not calculate the madness of the people."

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