Cold Quote by Isaac Newton
![“One [method] is by a Watch to keep time exactly. But, by reason of the motion of the Ship, the Variation of Heat and Cold, Wet and Dry, and the Difference of Gravity in different Latitudes, such a watch hath not yet been made.” quote by Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/733/isaac-newton-1226_cold_one-method-is-by-a-watch-to-keep-time-ex_1308582.jpg)
“One [method] is by a Watch to keep time exactly. But, by reason of the motion of the Ship, the Variation of Heat and Cold, Wet and Dry, and the Difference of Gravity in different Latitudes, such a watch hath not yet been made.”
About This Quote
Source Treat: Opticks, 1704
Newton notes that a perfect timekeeping device must account for varying environmental factors, which was not yet achievable.
In simple terms: A perfect watch must adjust for motion, temperature, humidity, and gravity.
Key Takeaway
Design clocks that compensate for environmental changes.
Themes
science
technology
precision
environment
Mood
curious
analytical
Type
scientific
technical
When to use this quote
- navigation
- space travel
- deep sea exploration
- high‑altitude aviation
Key Concepts
Physics
mechanical engineering
thermodynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can modern sensors improve clock accuracy?
- What limits remain for universal timekeeping?
A Different Perspective
Current technology still cannot fully eliminate all environmental influences on timekeeping.
![“Do not Bodies act upon Light at a distance, and by their action bend its Rays; and is not this action (caeteris paribus) [all else being equal] strongest at the least distance?” quote by Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f9c/isaac-newton-1226_action_do-not-bodies-act-upon-light-at-a-distan_90238.jpg)
![“I am ashamed to tell you to how many figures I carried these calculations [of Pi], having no other business at the time” quote by Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/93f/isaac-newton-1226_ashamed_i-am-ashamed-to-tell-you-to-how-many-fig_106544.jpg)
![“This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day [as a Fairfax Justice of the Peace] since I have been at Home. I wish I knew where to get a good one myself; for I find cold Sheets extreamly disagreeable.” quote by George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b92/george-mason-8435_bedfellows_this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young_3953.jpg)
