A debate about doomsday (the last day of the world’s existence) has been going on for centuries. One of the great scientists reportedly calculated the day long ago, mentioning it in a letter to his friend! The letter has been re-published, recently.

Sir Isaac Newton (January 4, 1643 – March 31, 1727), the English polymath, mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist and theologian, mentioned in his letter, dated 1704, that the world would end in 2060 due to the collision with an asteroid! He also mentioned that the date (or time) might change, depending on the situation. Sir Isaac stated that there would be a possibility of the destruction of Planet Earth even before 2060.

Some astronomers are of the opinion that the Earth’s lifespan could end even sooner if the 2024 YR4, an asteroid that is classified as an Apollo-type (Earth-crossing) near-Earth object with an estimated diameter of 40-90 metres (130-300ft) better known as the City Killer, collides with the Earth. Astronomers believe that the risk of Earth colliding with the City Killer is 1-2% and it might happen in 2032. The collision could destroy the Moon, as well!

The letter of Newton is currently preserved in the archives of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He predicted the specific year by calculating the dates and times mentioned in the Book of Daniel, a 2nd Century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th Century BC setting. On the basis of his interpretation of the Bible and the events that followed biblical history, Newton claimed that the world could be on the verge of destruction 1,260 years after the fall of the Roman Empire.

In the letter, Newton wrote: “So then the time times & half a time are 42 months or 1260 days or three years & a half, reckoning twelve months to a year & 30 days to a month as was done in the Calendar of the primitive year. And the days of short-lived Beasts being put for the years of lived kingdoms, the period of 1260 days, if dated from the complete conquest of the three kings AC 800, will end AC 2060. It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner.” At that time, he thought that 356 years is quite a long period and the discussion on this issue would stop in a few years.

It is still difficult to predict whether the world would exist in 2060. However, scientists are of the opinion that most of the asteroids are about the size of a car. Hence, they burn up even before entering the Earth’s atmosphere. In a report, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has mentioned that the Earth collides with a medium-sized asteroid once every 100 years. Asteroids catch fire upon contact with the atmosphere and very few portions of them fall into water or land. The weight of an asteroid may create a crater in that particular area due to the intense speed, explained the independent agency of the US Federal Government responsible for the civil space programme, aeronautics research and space research. According to NASA scientists, the risk of the Earth colliding with a giant asteroid is quite low.

Dr Stephen D Snobelen, the Professor of the History of Science and Technology at the University of King’s College in Halifax who is devoted to interpreting Newton’s theological manuscripts and his understanding about the relationships between science and religion, has stressed that Sir Issac should not be considered as the Father of Modern Physics. Instead, he was a Natural Philosopher. Dr Snobelen also said that Newton, who found no conflict between religion and science, made an attempt to discover the truth about God! He made the prediction of doomsday with the help of the Bible and simple arithmetic.

Interestingly, Newton, himself, warned against hasty predictions, stating: “Only God knows the right time.“

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das