The meme consists of two main parts:
-
Left Side (Text): This section sets the historical context with the lines: "Plague is raging in Europe Newton: haha colors" This refers to the Great Plague of London (1665-1666) and other outbreaks of the bubonic plague that swept across Europe during Newton's lifetime. During these periods, universities and public spaces were often closed, forcing many, including Newton, to retreat to their homes or rural estates. It was during one such period of isolation at his family home in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, that Newton made some of his most profound discoveries.
-
Right Side (Image): This is an illustration depicting Isaac Newton conducting his famous prism experiment. In this experiment, Newton demonstrated that white light is composed of a spectrum of colors by passing it through a prism, which splits the light into its constituent hues (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). This groundbreaking work laid the foundation for modern optics. This phenomenon is scientifically known as the dispersion of light.
The Humor and Meaning:
The humor of the meme lies in the stark contrast it draws. While a devastating pandemic (the plague) was sweeping across the continent, causing immense suffering and death, Newton was seemingly engrossed in a seemingly trivial, yet revolutionary, scientific endeavor – playing with light and "colors."
It satirizes the popular perception of brilliant minds being so consumed by their work that they might appear oblivious to the world's chaos around them. More accurately, it subtly highlights Newton's incredible productivity during a period of forced isolation. Far from being a time of idleness, his retreat to Woolsthorpe was a period of intense intellectual activity where he developed his theories on calculus, gravity (famously, the apple falling from a tree anecdote is often associated with this period), and optics.
In essence, the meme playfully suggests that while the world was in crisis, Newton was in his own world of discovery, finding beauty and order in the fundamental principles of physics, even if it was just "haha colors." It's a testament to his singular focus and the profound impact of his work, which continued regardless of external circumstances.