ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Isaac Newton's occult studies

Isaac Newton was a very smart guy who lived a long time ago. He loved to study things like gravity and how objects move. But he also had another interest that was a bit more unusual. He believed in something called "occultism".

Occultism is when people try to understand secrets or hidden knowledge that isn't easy to see or understand. Newton wanted to understand the mysteries of the universe and thought that by studying the occult, he could learn more about the world.

He spent a lot of time reading old books and manuscripts about alchemy, which is a type of chemistry that was popular hundreds of years ago. Isaac Newton believed that he could turn metals like lead into gold, just like the old alchemists did.

He also loved studying astrology. That's when people study the positions of the stars and planets to try to understand how they affect our lives. Isaac Newton thought that he could use astrology to make predictions about the future.

Some people think that Newton's interest in the occult was just a hobby, but others believe that it played a big role in his scientific discoveries. Regardless, his fascination with uncovering the secrets of the universe led him to explore many different areas of inquiry throughout his life.