Happy holidays or, to be secularly contrary... a very merry Newtonmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

         Twas the night before Newtonmas and all through the lab

         not a creature was stirring, not even the lab crab (...crustacean experiments?).

         The white coats were hung by the black board with care

         in hopes that old Isaac soon would be there.

         And then from outside peering in through the dark

         The bewigged face of jolly Isaark (...?!).

         He swung in through the window with haste and alacrity

         His motion directed by the force of gravity.

OK, OK... I won't do anymore. I'll just end by saying happy Newtonmas to all and to all a good-night!

By way of explanation, and not to repeat myself needlessly, here are my previous Newtonmas card blog posts

Newtonmas 2011
Newtonmas 2012
Newtonmas 2014


See you in the new year with a great deal more illustration work going to be posted in 2016. (That's a pre new year resolution!)

It's Newtonmas 2014 !!! Deck the halls with prisms and apples fa la la la laaah...

Well it's that most wonderful time of the year when all those so inclined celebrate the mind (though perhaps not the personality) of Isaac the birthday boy. I don't know at what point something becomes a tradition but as this is my third Newtonmas card (see the others here and here) I'm going to call this a tradition of mine.

Raise a glass of spiced cider and don't forget the apple on top of your Newtonmas tree this year. Warmest compliments of the season and a very happy new year to everyone!

A very merry Newtonmas (or Isaac's prismatic birthday tree)

That time of the year if fast upon us once again dear folks so here's my secular way of marking the festivities. The short explanation for the image is that December 25th (might) also be said to be Isaac Newton's birthday... the longer explanation, and my similarly inspired card from last year can be found here. For a funnier 'Big Bang' explanation Sheldon explains it more fully than I can ;-)

To slightly elaborate on this years card... Newton ascertained by shining light through glass prisms that white light, far from being colourless, contains all the other colours (just think Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon album cover artwork...). Did you also know that, to experiment on how our eyes function and perceive colour Newton took a bodkin needle, shoved it 'betwixt the eye and the bone' and prodded his own eye ball! I decided that probably wouldn't have been the best thing to show on my card, memorable though it would be.

Physics (and anatomy) lesson over, my very best wishes of the season to everyone and to all a very sparkling new year!

Secular seasons greetings to all, and to all a happy new year!

Here's my virtual card... to explain. When I read Robin Ince and Brian Cox's "O Come All Ye Sceptics" piece in the Guardian last week I just had to do a 'Newtonmas' card when I found out Isaac Newton was born on December 25th (unlike other individuals supposed to share that birthdate...?!). To quickly digress, I highly recommend Robin Ince and Brian Cox's other joint effort, The Infinite Monkey Cage podcasts and Robin's other podcasts with Josie Long, Utter Shambles. Now back to the card...

Well OK... so it isn't as straight forward as all that. Now I preface the following by saying I've only dipped into the (sometimes factually murky) pool that is wikipedia to find out more, so a pinch of salt might be necessary...? Depending upon which calendar and religion you prescribed to way back in the 17th century you would say Isaac Newton was either born on December 25th 1642 (if you were a Protestant following the Julian calendar) or January 4th 1643 (if you happened to be a Roman Catholic using the Gregorian calendar). Religion making something straightforward more complicated... well I never. Still, it makes for an educational illustration... there will be a test! For the purposes of this card, and a cheap gag, I choose Julian!

Have a Very Merry Isaac Newton's Birthday and my very best wishes for the new year!