Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcombwas a Canadian-American astronomer, applied mathematician and autodidactic polymath, who was Professor of Mathematics in the U.S. Navy and at Johns Hopkins...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionMathematician
Date of Birth12 March 1835
CountryCanada
airplane past men
The mathematician of to-day admits that he can neither square the circle, duplicate the cube or trisect the angle. May not our mechanicians, in like manner, be ultimately forced to admit that aerial flight is one of that great class of problems with which men can never cope... I do not claim that this is a necessary conclusion from any past experience. But I do think that success must await progress of a different kind from that of invention.
distance future airplane
The demonstration that no possible combination of known substances, known forms of machinery and known forms of force, can be united in a practical machine by which men shall fly along distances through the air, seems to the writer as complete as it is possible for the demonstration to be.
airplane bird speed
Quite likely the twentieth century is destined to see the natural forces which will enable us to fly from continent to continent with a speed far exceeding that of a bird.
airplane space machines
Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.
consider declined due looking suggestion toward western
A suggestion had been made to me looking toward a professorship in some Western college, but after due consideration, I declined to consider the matter.
arrived berlin circle event history occurred transit
In October, 1865, occurred what was, in my eyes, the greatest event in the history of the observatory. The new transit circle arrived from Berlin in its boxes.
class cope flight men problems
Aerial flight is one of that class of problems with which men will never have to cope
greatly halfway prevent traveled
Astronomers are greatly disappointed when, having traveled halfway around the world to see an eclipse, clouds prevent a sight of it; and yet a sense of relief accompanies the disappointment.
admiral charge continued davis death retirement returned sands until
On the retirement of Admiral Sands in 1874, Admiral Davis returned to the observatory, and continued in charge until his death in February, 1877.
age district lived mile passed school summer town
In the summer of 1851, when I had passed the age of sixteen, we lived in a little school district a mile or two from the town of Yarmouth, N. S.
carried circle existing far forward latter pursued transit work
In the latter part of 1869 I had carried forward the work with the transit circle as far as it could be profitably pursued under existing conditions.
dreaming national pay summer vacation visit
In 1854 I availed myself of my summer vacation to pay my first visit to the national capital, little dreaming that it would ever be my home.
activity chicago director fire forced great pursue work
The great fire practically put an end to the activity of the Chicago Observatory and forced its director to pursue his work in other fields.
prayer men knives
When about fifteen I once made a great scandal by taking out my knife in prayer meeting and assaulting a young man who, while I was kneeling down during the prayer, stood above me and squeezed my neck.