Issac Newton and Paving the Way for Modern Physics Essay

Issac Newton and Paving the Way for Modern Physics - Essay Example It is thus no exaggeration to say that Newton paved the way for Modern Physics. The rest of this essay will flesh out this claim. Although retrospectively, Isaac Newton’s genius and legacy are now accepted facts, there was no inkling during his early years that this was destined him. Born in Woolsthorpe, England on a Christmas Day in 1642, there were odds stacked against Newton’s survival. He was born premature and his survival was uncertain. Just prior to his birth his father had expired. Even his youth was nothing illustrious, as he even ventured briefly into managing his family farm. The turning point for Newton’s life in science came with his enrolment in Cambridge University in 1661. Here, he came under the charge of distinguished cleric and mathematician Isaac Barrow, who mentored and inspired the young man, especially in mathematics. It was under the guidance of Barrow that Newton would conceive and articulate some of the most groundbreaking scientific dis coveries of the modern era.i As per an autobiographical account written for his nephews, the major streams of Newton's scientific work were all initiated during the plague years of 1665--66, when Cambridge was closed down due to an outbreak of plague and the young Newton went home for a short break. It was during this time that some of the cornerstone discoveries and inventions of modern physics came about. During this period, the inquisitive and penetrative mind of Newton started working on the laws of universal gravitation, the development of calculus, and the nature and behavior of light. The findings he made on these projects would enable him to make vital contributions to mathematics, theoretical physics, astronomy and experimental physics. Given the magnitude of some of these contributions, it is fair to say that Newton opened new vistas in these subjects and spawned the development of modern physics. In other words, he began to invent â€Å"a set of mathematical techniques, including what we call the binomial theorem and differential calculus. He did a set of optical experiments that demonstrated that white light is composed of a mixture of all colors of the rainbow. And he theorized that the Moon is maintained in its orbit around Earth by the same force that causes heavy objects near Earth's surface to fall to the ground--in other words, he began to think about the law of universal gravitation.†ii Although there is no precise answer to the date of origin of modern physics, a strong case can be made that it started in 1647 with the publication of Isaac Newton’s Philosophie Naturalis Principia Mathematica. In recognition of the momentousness of this publication, the Encyclopedia Britannica called Newton â€Å"’the culminating figure of the scientific revolution of the l7th Century’, and describes Principia Mathematica as ‘one of the most important works in the history of modern science.’ From its inception, modem science has quite simply dominated the human mind.†iii The sweep and influence of Newton’s work on subsequent scientific developments can be gleaned from the list of his important works. In Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Newton gives a concise account of his discoveries in terrestrial and celestial mechanics, which is a cornerstone for modern physics. In it, he explicated how universal gravitation is operant upon objects on earth as well as in the celestial space. Further, â€Å"

PeopleSoft vs. Oracle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PeopleSoft vs. Oracle - Research Paper Example s, â€Å"The acquisition of one company by another that is accomplished not by coming to an agreement with the target companys  management, but by going  directly to  the company’s shareholders or fighting to replace management in order to get the acquisition approved† (Investopedia, 2012). The hostile takeover bid of the company was unusual due to the fact that the company had no interest in the product or services that PeopleSoft offered. Instead Oracle was solely interested in the customers of PeopleSoft. The plan of Oracle was to convert all the customers of PeopleSoft into its EPR system. Another unusual aspect of the original offer was that it was only 6% above the market value of the firm. Typically most hostile takeover bids are at least 20% above the market value. It seemed as if Oracle was taking a huge gamble in this takeover offer since the firm was not going to utilize the intellectual property of PeopleSoft to its advantage. The plan of Oracle was to increase its market share by eliminating its top competitor. The conditions that needed to be met for the independent boards of directors to determine if the sale of the company was in the best interest of the company was whether the hostile takeover bid maximizes the shareholders wealth. The initial offer was so low that there was no reason for the company to accept it since the bid was undervalued in comparison with other hostile takeovers of publicly traded companies. Even though the primary focus of the board should be the shareholders, the interest of other stakeholders of the company such as the employees and the customers were also important. Based on Oracle’s plan some of the negative consequences included mass firing of employees due to downsizing and a deterioration of customer relations. PeopleSoft had in its bylaws a poison pill to protect itself against hostile takeovers. The poison pill was a bylaw that stated that the company had the ability to release more shares in order to dilute