Robert Hooke was one of a special breed of scientist whose intellect and ingenuity spanned many different disciplines. Like his contemporaries Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and Christiaan Huygens, Hooke worked in many fields, often with remarkable results.

Hooke was born in Britain, on the Isle of Wight in 1635. A sickly child who was stricken with smallpox at an early age, he was not expected to survive more than a few years. His persistent ill health forced him to remain indoors, where he found amusement in taking apart and reassembling mechanical devices. By his tenth birthday he had become adept at constructing intricate mechanical toys, including working boats and clocks.

After his father's death in 1648, Hooke was sent to London to attend boarding school, where the headmaster recognized his potential and placed him in a curriculum that included Latin, Greek, and mathematics. Hooke attended Oxford in 1653. Though he never completed...