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I don't think either Newton or Leibniz was primarily motivated by money. Far from it, in fact.
by Turing_Machine 3y ago
I don't think either Newton or Leibniz was primarily motivated by money. Far from it, in fact.
- Qem 3y agoIIRC the money motivation for Newton made him pursue alchemy, that didn't lead anywhere and just wasted time that would be more fruitful if applied to calculus and physics.
- jhanschoo 3y ago> made him pursue alchemy, that didn't lead anywhere and just wasted time that would be more fruitful You wouldn't have known in Newton's time if alchemical transmutation into gold worked. Certainly, you knew then that some substances could be transformed into other substances, and it was such research that developed into modern high-school chemistry.
- junofan 3y agoNewton was Master of the Royal Mint for something like 30 years and put people to death for clipping coins. He spent decades trying to manufacture gold. I would say money was a very big motivator. Don’t know about Leibniz.
- Turing_Machine 3y agoThat wasn't his money, though. He apparently received a salary between £500 and £600 per year, While that was a lot more money than it is now, an inflation calculator at the Bank of England suggests that it was the equivalent of around £43,000 today (around $US53,000 at today's exchange rate). Not starvation wages, certainly, but neither was it vast riches.
- junofan 3y agoHe received a percentage of metal minted on top of that salary and died wealthy.