Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist. His work was also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He was responsible for developing the general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (the other being quantum mechanics). The world’s most famous equation is Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence formula E=mc2. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his services to theoretical physics and the discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.
Near the beginning of his career, Einstein felt that Newtonian mechanics were no longer suitable for reconciling the classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. This led to the development of his special theory of relativity. This theory was able to be extended to gravitational fields and lead to his theory of gravitation. Some of his difficulties with statistical mechanics and quantum theory led to his explanations of particle theory and motion of molecules. His investigations into the thermal properties of light laid the foundation of the photon theory of light.
Einstein had been visiting the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and decided to stay in the U.S. since he was Jewish. In 1930 Einstein became an American Citizen. On the eve of World War II, Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt to alert him to the potential development of extremely powerful bombs and advised that the U.S. begin similar research. This research became known as the Manhattan Project. Einstein was largely against actually using the newly discovered nuclear weapons though. Later he and a British philosopher would write a manifesto that highlighted the dangers of using nuclear weapons.
Einstein published more than 300 scientific papers along with over 150 non-scientific works. Over 30,000 unique documents if Einstein’s papers were released just recently from universities and archives. Einstein’s intellectual achievements and originality have commonly led to his consideration as a true genius. We dedicate a star in honor of his achievements and thank him for all that he’s done to advance the sciences.
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Posted on June 8, 2015 by Ryan Hart
