Lee Smolin, Three Roads to Quantum Gravity (2000)
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The view of space that exists independent of any relationship is called the absolute view. It was Newton's view, but it has been definitely repudiated by the experiments that have verified Einstein's theory of general relativity. ...There are unfortunately not a few good professional physicists who still think about the world as if space and time had an absolute meaning.
— Lee Smolin
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The view of space that exists independent of any relationship is called the absolute view. It was Newton's view, but it has been definitely repudiated by the experiments that have verified Einstein's theory of general relativity. ...There are unfortunately not a few good professional physicists who still think about the world as if space and time had an absolute meaning." in the context of "Lee Smolin, Three Roads to Quantum Gravity (2000)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Isaac Newton" (Quotes about Newton: Alphabetized by author , S–Z)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (January 4, 1643 – March 31, 1727 or in Old Style: December 25, 1642 – March 20, 1727) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the greatest mathematicians and physicists and among the most influential scientists of all time. He was a key figure in the philosophical revolution known as the Enlightenment. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), first published in 1687, established classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and shares credit with German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing infinitesimal calculus.
About Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (January 4, 1643 – March 31, 1727 or in Old Style: December 25, 1642 – March 20, 1727) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the greatest mathematicians and physicists and among the most influential scientists of all time. He was a key figure in the philosophical revolution known as the Enlightenment. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), first published in 1687, established classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and shares credit with German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing infinitesimal calculus.
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