We’ve Misunderstood a Fundamental Law of Physics for Nearly 300 Years

When Isaac Newton penned his famous laws of motion in 1687, he likely never imagined they would still spark debate over 300 years later. Writing in Latin, he outlined three fundamental principles governing motion in the universe. Over the centuries, scholars have translated, analyzed, and debated them extensively.

However, philosopher of language and mathematics Daniel Hoek from Virginia Tech argues that we may have been misinterpreting Newton’s first law of motion all along due to a translation error from the original Latin.

The first English translation of Principia, published in 1729, introduced a subtle but crucial mistranslation. As a result, countless academics and educators have long taught that an object in motion stays in a straight line or remains at rest unless acted upon by an external force.

At first glance, this explanation makes sense. But Newton understood that external forces—gravity, friction, air resistance—are always present. Revisiting the original text, Hoek noticed that a key Latin word, quatenus, meaning “insofar” rather than “unless,” had been misinterpreted.

Why One Word Changes Everything

Hoek argues that Newton’s intended meaning wasn’t about how objects move in the absence of force—since no such condition exists in reality. Instead, Newton was explaining that every change in motion—every jolt, curve, and acceleration—is due to external forces.

This correction was first noted in 1999, yet it never gained widespread attention. As Hoek explains, some dismiss his argument as too radical, while others find it so obviously correct that it barely needs defending.

Even though this reinterpretation doesn’t alter the physics, it clarifies Newton’s intent. Newton himself illustrated his first law using examples like a spinning top, which slows in a spiral due to air resistance. According to Hoek, this example proves Newton applied the law to real-world conditions where forces are always present.

Hoek’s revised reading reinforces Newton’s revolutionary idea: that the same physical laws governing motion on Earth also apply to the planets, stars, and galaxies. Every shift in speed, every curve in trajectory—from atoms to entire galaxies—follows Newton’s First Law, reminding us that we are all bound by the same fundamental principles of the universe.

Read Original Article: Science Alert

Read More: Magnetism Has Just Solved One of Quantum Tech’s Biggest Challenges