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This is only partly a myth; there are contemporary accounts from Newton's acquaintances noting how he described being inspired by observing the fall of an apple
by JProthero 6y ago
This is only partly a myth; there are contemporary accounts from Newton's acquaintances noting how he described being inspired by observing the fall of an apple from a tree. It was the fact that an apple falls from a tree specifically in the direction of the Earth's centre that was said to have piqued his curiosity.
The apple falling on his head seems to have been a later embellishment.
- ponker 6y agoA person can create their own Eureka myth. cf. eBay.
- JProthero 6y agoI can't see why Newton would lie to his friends and relations about something like this, but in the absence of a time machine and a brain scanner your interpretation is as valid as any other. In any case, regardless of whether Newton's recollection of his own experiences was mistaken or confected, this is not a myth in the normal sense of being the product of invention or misconstrual by others long after the event.