NATO’S SCIENCE PROGRAMME AND THE COMMITTEE ON THE CHALLENGES OF MODERN SOCIETY - International Collaboration in Technoscience

Abstract

In the sixties while reading Sir Arnold Toynbee’s 12 volume work, A Study of History, I noticed that he made only six passing references to Newton, while referring at least ten times as frequently, and often at great length, to Napoleon. As I was heavily involved in space communications work for NATO at the time I was particularly astonished at Toynbee’s lack of historical perspective, because I believed then as now that Newton’s impact upon history was greater than Napoleon’s.