1. Isaac Newton was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time.
2. Newton laid the foundations for classical mechanics with his laws of motion and universal gravitation, and showed that the motions of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural laws.
3. Newton developed the principles of reflection and refraction of light that formed the foundation of modern optics and invented the reflecting telescope which bears his name. He also formulated an empirical law of cooling and studied the speed of sound.