TrueQuotes - Verified Quotes Archive

"I can calculate the motions of the heavenly bodies, but not the madness of the people."

— Isaac Newton

January 1, 1970

Quote Details

Added by wikiquote-import-bot

Added on April 10, 2026

Unverified quote

0 likes

Mathematicians from England Academics from the United Kingdom Alchemists Astronomers from England Physicists from England

Original Language: English

Sources

Such a statement is indicated as his response to a question regarding the financial fiasco known as the South Sea Bubble; the earliest mention of this famous anecdote appears to be from manuscripts of the Second Memorandum Book (1756) of Joseph Spence, first published in Anecdotes, Observations, and Characters, of Books and Men (1820) edited by in Samuel Weller Singer; a Lord Radnor is quoted as saying:

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton

Such a statement is indicated as his response to a question regarding the financial fiasco known as the South Sea Bubble; the earliest mention of this famous anecdote appears to be from manuscripts of the Second Memorandum Book (1756) of Joseph Spence, first published in Anecdotes, Observations, and Characters, of Books and Men (1820) edited by in Samuel Weller Singer; a Lord Radnor is quoted as saying: