Pleiades (Greek mythology) Hesperides, nymphs of the morning star. After Atlas was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders, Orion began to pursue all of the Pleiades, and Zeus transformed them first into doves, and then into stars to comfort their father. The constellation of Orion is said to still pursue them across the night sky. One of the most memorable myths involving the Pleiades is the story of how these sisters literally became stars, their "catasterism". According to some versions of the tale, all seven sisters committed suicide because they were so saddened by either the fate of their father, Atlas,
Standing on the shoulders of giants Standing on the shoulders of giants The metaphor of dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants () expresses the meaning of "discovering truth by building on previous discoveries". This concept has been traced to the 12th century, attributed to Bernard of Chartres. Its most familiar expression in English is by Isaac Newton in 1675: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." The attribution to Bernard of Chartres is due to John of Salisbury. In 1159, John wrote in his "Metalogicon": "Bernard of Chartres used to compare us to dwarfs perched on the shoulders