Shoulders of Giants

Subject: Shoulders of Giants
From: Terry K
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 04:49 PM

Nothing to do with Oasis or whoever recently did an album of that name.

I walked into my local pub this evening to be confronted with "ask Terry, he'll know" and was asked who originally referred to "standing on the shoulders of giants" (I believe as a modest explanation of someone's success?). I had to admit to the throng that the answer escaped me - in truth I can rarely remember what I was doing yesterday afternoon - but said "I know someone who will know", meaning of course the Mudcat.

So, who was it and in what context?

Cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: Mbo
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 05:05 PM

Terry, it was Oasis who did that album. And a bloody good one at that! Anyway, the phrase comes from Sir Isaac Newton. When people asked him how he came up with the theory that the Earth revolved around the sun (the Heliocentric theory), he replied "By standing on the shoulders of giants." The giants he was referencing were Galileo & Copernicus.

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: MMario
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 05:16 PM

I do believe the wee lad is correct

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: Terry K
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 05:24 PM

I knew I could depend on you!!! - (and you sing and play music too!).

Thanks so much, my credibility at the Cross Keys is intact, you're on a pint of Old and Filthy any time you're passing by.

Cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: SINSULL
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 05:24 PM

Way to go Mbo! Impressive young man, isn't he? And in 6 minutes.

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 05:27 PM

try here - seems Sir Isaac said it, but the phrase goes back to the 12th century.

And Sirv Isaace Newton didn't come up with the heliocentric theory, he worked out the mathematics of it.

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: Mbo
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 05:31 PM

I know, Kevin. He didn't say he discovered it all by himself, but by standing on the shoulders of the giants he was about to understand it and realize it was correct, no matter what the commonly held belief was.

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: bob jr
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 11:42 PM

that oasis record is rank

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: Mbo
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 11:48 PM

Bob, I don't really give a dingo's kidney. I like it. You don't have to.

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 04:15 AM

A small person standing on the shoulders of giants can see the world.

A large person standing under a giant gets to see nothing but the feet of the person supposed to be guiding them. Usually as they disappear into the pub and leave the poor giant standing outside! (see the 'Giant carrying for fun and hernias' thread.....)

LTS who stood on a giants shoulders once

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: Bagpuss
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 05:56 AM

Newton said it, but it was actually an insult to someone else (maybe someone out there remembers who?). Someone accused Newton of stealing his ideas, and Newton said "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants". This was not only a reference to the fact that Newton thought this scientist was no intellectual giant (and he had got his ideas from much greater men), but also that this man was very short.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: Shoulders of Giants
From: Bagpuss
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 06:49 AM

The other scientist was Robert Hooke (of Hooke's Law fame?)

Bagpuss