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__Newton's Biography__ by //J J O'Connor// and //E F Robertson//

Undisputable, Isaac Newton was a genius. This is proven not only by his works in physics, optics, and mathematics but also by hardships throughout his life that he had to endure. It is my opinion that men of genius fall into a common thread. Newton, like Einstein, was considered “slow” in school. “However he seems to have shown little promise in academic work. His school reports described him as 'idle' and 'inattentive'.” It always seems that men of genius stature are bored by normal school work. They don’t find what they are asked to do at all interesting so they don’t try. It is also a common thread that great mathematicians have to overcome some sort of adversity throughout their lives. Though not nearly as bad as parts of Einstein’s life would be, Newton had a tough childhood. His father died before he was born and when his mother remarried he was given to his grandmother to be raised. From this point on he began to grow hatred toward his mother and stepfather. When reflecting upon his sins at the age of nineteen he wrote of, “//Threatening my father and mother Smith to burn them and the house over them.”// It seems to me that the criterion for genius always includes adversity. Newton had a rough childhood; Einstein was forced out of his country by a radical, anti-Semitic régime, Galileo was inquisitioned by the church and forced to spend the last years of his life under house arrest. It just shows that any great achiever will face great opposition to achievement.