Question

voltaire on science
according to your cartesians followers of descartes, everything is performed by an impulsion, of which we have very little notion; and according to sir isaac newton, it is by an attraction, the cause of which is as much unknown to us. at paris you imagine that the earth is shaped like a melon, or of an oblique figure; at london it has an oblate one. a cartesian declares that light exists in the air; but a newtonian asserts that it comes from the sun in six minutes and a half.... the very essence of things is totally changed.... how furiously contradictory are these opinions!
what is the main idea of this passage?
sir isaac newton is the greatest scientist of this era.
light comes from the sun in fewer than seven minutes.
the followers of descartes know more than those who follow newton.
people still don’t understand how the world works.

Explanation:

The passage highlights the contrasting views of Cartesians and Newtonians on various scientific - related matters like the shape of the earth and the origin of light, emphasizing the contradictions. It shows that different scientific ideas exist and people still lack a unified understanding of the world.

Answer:

People still don’t understand how the world works.