Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Some of the world’s greatest scientific minds tell us what they love—and hate—about Einstein
Discover ^ | Aug 2004 | various

Posted on 08/20/2004 9:43:04 AM PDT by RightWingAtheist

LOVE: I particularly admired Einstein’s deep devotion to, and ability to focus on, science itself and his recognition that the personalities of scientists are irrelevant to understanding science. Most important, in light of recent trends in physics, he understood the place of mathematics in science as a tool, not an end in itself. He was always motivated by physical questions and searching for experimental tests, even as he explored new mathematics. In particular, he didn’t confuse mathematical elegance with physical significance.

HATE: I find myself frustrated at Einstein’s constant and inappropriate use of the term “God,” when he really meant something else. As a result, he opened the door for generations of individuals to misrepresent his ideas.

LAWRENCE KRAUSS, chairman, department of physics,

Case Western Reserve University

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Einstein—his mind and his manner—became the symbol of science to millions of people throughout the world. In an era of wrenching human struggle under the heels of military might and the horrors of World War I, the experimental proof of the correctness of Einstein’s notion of gravity and curved space showed the world that there were fundamental truths to be learned about nature and that the human mind and spirit could rise above all. Einstein’s manner, his grandfatherly warmth, gave science, and physics in particular, a human side, which we have lost over the century.

What still drives me crazy about Einstein is that he did not participate in the scientific revolution he helped launch. His successful theory of the photoelectric effect was a key step in establishing the correctness of quantum mechanics. He seemed to consider working out the details of the atom and its nucleus more as busywork than as fundamental science.

NEAL LANE, former director, the National Science Foundation;

professor of physics and astronomy, Rice University

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Excerpt) Read more at discover.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: alberteinstein; einstein; physics; science
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-86 next last

1 posted on 08/20/2004 9:43:06 AM PDT by RightWingAtheist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: PatrickHenry; Ernest_at_the_Beach

Something for your ping lists


2 posted on 08/20/2004 9:45:12 AM PDT by RightWingAtheist (<A HREF=http://www.michaelmoore.com>stupid blob</A>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RightWingAtheist

I think Einstein had a sick sense of humor.


3 posted on 08/20/2004 9:46:41 AM PDT by coconutt2000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RightWingAtheist

"He seemed to consider working out the details of the atom and its nucleus more as busywork than as fundamental science."

Google: INTP


4 posted on 08/20/2004 9:46:54 AM PDT by ConsistentLibertarian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: RightWingAtheist

He was great in that movie with Meg Ryan!


5 posted on 08/20/2004 9:48:15 AM PDT by Lunatic Fringe (This tagline was censored by freerepublic.com!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: coconutt2000
"If you can't explain it so an 8 year old can understand it, you don't understand it".

Is that a quote from him?

6 posted on 08/20/2004 9:51:18 AM PDT by norraad ("What light!">Blues Brothers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: RightWingAtheist

I had heard that near the end of his life, near his 70's, he lamented that everything he had done was wrong.

The implication being he had stumbled on something that outmoded his theory, or simply showed it to be a specialized subset of something bigger.

And no matter, Einstein has been flat out proved wrong on at least one occasion, by J. S. Bell et al.


8 posted on 08/20/2004 9:53:22 AM PDT by djf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: norraad

Doesn't sound reasonable, so it's probably not him.


9 posted on 08/20/2004 9:58:51 AM PDT by js1138 (In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. J Forbes Kerry)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: norraad

Einstein wrote an article for the Encyclopedia Brittanica explaining in very very basic simple terms the relationship between space and time. I can get through about four paragraphs of the thirty page article before having to give up.


10 posted on 08/20/2004 9:59:01 AM PDT by bayourod ("All boats came to the aid of PCF-3, except one: John Kerry’s boat. Kerry fled. " Van Odell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: djf

I prefer to think that Einstein's understanding of relativity was based on an incorrect assumption of certain absolutes... I think that if he was alive today, he'd be leading the way on quantum mechanics.

He had an incredible intuition about the structure of matter and the universe, and he made huge leaps based on small amounts of inormation.

I think that is rather incredible, and he would certainly be a great scientist today if he was alive.


11 posted on 08/20/2004 9:59:21 AM PDT by coconutt2000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: RightWingAtheist
I love that Einstein viewed physics in terms of geometry, and let the algebra follow from that, rather than vice-versa.

I hate that Einstein seemed to buy into the misconception that his scientific brilliance conferred upon him some special political insight, and that therefore his opinions on such matters should carry extra weight.

12 posted on 08/20/2004 10:01:10 AM PDT by Physicist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: djf

I wouldn't trust anything by that Art Bell guy, he was kind of a kook, always interviewing UFO people and all . . .


13 posted on 08/20/2004 10:01:24 AM PDT by job ("God is not dead nor doth He sleep")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: coconutt2000
I prefer to think that Einstein's understanding of relativity was based on an incorrect assumption of certain absolutes

What assumption is that?

14 posted on 08/20/2004 10:03:59 AM PDT by Physicist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: coconutt2000

Interesting that because of the work of Bell and others, some ideas that were dumped because of general/special relativity are coming back in a certain vogue, even though no scientist would ever publicly admit it.

The quantum flux, the ZPE could be considered to be "ether".

There does indeed seem to be some kind of absolute space/time, ie a true, positive, though possibly not preferred, inertial system.

Whatever the next revelation in physics, it's almost to the point where it will be called a "philosophy", not a "hard science".


15 posted on 08/20/2004 10:07:43 AM PDT by djf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: job

Not Art.

John Stuart Bell.

I think he might hold the same chair that Newton held.


16 posted on 08/20/2004 10:09:36 AM PDT by djf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: coconutt2000
prefer to think that Einstein's understanding of relativity was based on an incorrect assumption of certain absolutes

Damn the Absolute

17 posted on 08/20/2004 10:13:19 AM PDT by mjp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: RightWingAtheist

He will always be remembered as the guy who invented "bad hair."


18 posted on 08/20/2004 10:14:00 AM PDT by Old Professer (If they win, it will be because we've become too soft.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: js1138
Actually, although I don't know if it was from him or not, it does indeed sound like something he would say, as he believed very much that you could explain the universe in very simple, elegant terms which anyone, even a child, could understand. He intensely disliked quantum mechanics partly because of the mathematical "noise" which made it so difficult to express in simple terms (Schrodinger, whose wave mechanics turned out be merely a simpler form of matrix mechanics, felt much the same way).

It's often forgotten today that Einstein spent as much of his time trying to explain relativity and basic physics to the general public as he did on physics itself. The Evolution of Physics, which he co-wrote with Leopold Infeld, remains a classic text.

19 posted on 08/20/2004 10:14:03 AM PDT by RightWingAtheist (<A HREF=http://www.michaelmoore.com>stupid blob</A>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: RightWingAtheist
Relativity is near its centennial. Physics geeks around the world are preparing to celebrate. New pocket protectors with E=mc2 printed on them or Einstein on a bicycle or something.
20 posted on 08/20/2004 10:14:34 AM PDT by RightWhale (Withdraw from the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and establish property rights)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-86 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson