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About this quote

What does it mean?
The conversion between light and matter follows nature’s tendency toward transformation.
In plain terms
Nature readily changes light into matter and back, showing its love of change.
What can you take from it?
Embrace transformation as a natural process.

Where it applies

  • physics
  • philosophy

Putting it to work

  • studying photon‑matter interactions
  • exploring energy‑mass conversion

Questions to consider

  • How does modern physics describe light‑matter conversion?
  • What limits exist on such transformations?

Another view

The statement predates modern quantum theory, so its wording is metaphorical.

More from Isaac Newton

  1. What is there in places empty of matter? and Whence is it that the sun and planets gravitate toward one another without dense matter between them? Whence is it…

    Permalink to quote #26
  2. It seems probable to me that God, in the beginning, formed matter in solid, massy, hard, impenetrable, moveable particles, of such sizes and figures, and with …

    Permalink to quote #28
  3. Hypotheses non fingo.

    Permalink to quote #25

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