Newton more important than Einstein: poll

PhysOrg.com ^ | 23 November 2005 | Staff

[phantomworker]

This is reminiscent of non-Euclidean geometry.

[wireman]

"Now, if you dropped a dart, that would be a different story."

I'm glad you brought up the dart because I was about to say that this thread was pointless...

[jveritas]

Is it Buddha or Confucius?

[phantomworker]

I liked your example on the moon and orbital velocity. That was funny.

[jveritas]

OK, I thought it is him or Confucius but I think neither one has that deep influence in history to be ranked top 5.

[Torie]

I looked it up, and must correct myself. I have the first three correct, but 4th and 5th are Confucius and Buddha, with St. Paul 6th. The wild card is the 7th guy. That is the one you guys will never guess without cheating. :)

[Torie]

Yes. :)

[Right Wing Assault]

The world would be very different if he hadn't been born but apples would still fall if Newton had been aborted.

No scientist is truly irreplacable, even Einstein. Eventually, someone would have done what Newton did. Same for Einstein. They just were smart enough and got born earlier.

[Torie]

I read somewhere that there is one insight Einstein had (no it was not e=mc squared) that others in time are not likely to have fathomed, and one thing Newton did, that others would not have grasped onto either, for a very long time indeed. What are those? I don't remember!

[jveritas]

OK I found the 100 most influential people in history per Micheal Hart list.

Cai Lu(China) the inventor of paper is # 7 according to his list. I think the inventor of the Alphabet should be ranked more important than Cai Lu, some Phoenician guy called Kadmous. Anyway, I think this list is the opinion of the author Hart. Jesus Christ is # 1 without any competition.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_100

[Torie]

You cheater you. Who invented the alphabet? Which alphabet? Was it done by one guy?

[Right Wing Assault]

I'm glad you brought up the dart because I was about to say that this thread was pointless...

With that pointed remark, I am going to bed. I'll see all of you in the morning after the kids and I shovel the cars out. Only got a few inches tonight, but who knows what lake effect snow will blow in off Lake Erie with 40 mi/h gusts over night.

[freespirited]

I think he died a virgin.

Yup, Newton was terrifed of women. He was probably gay.

Would be fascinating to see the results of this poll if taken on a U.S. campus, where both men have been vilified by feminists for the past couple decades. Newton for being the author of a rape manual (the Principia) and Einstein for his famous "sexed equation" (e=mc2).

I did not make this up. If you don't believe me google it.

[Torie]

Oh Kadmous. No he didn't make the list at all. :)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[DennisR]

"Yeah, Bill Nye, the Science Guy!"

Yea - the great supporter of Democrats. Clinton, Gore, Kerry, you name it. More aptly named "Bill Nye, the Liberal Guy."

[Melas]

Ah come on, the nationalism here is plainly evident. A bunch of Brit scientists picked the Brit guy over the naturalized German American.

[Torie]

Here is the complete list. Enjoy.

[jveritas]

The alphabet as we know it i.e phonics characters was first invented in Phoenicia (current day Lebanon) over 2800 years ago. In fact the first letter was pronounced as ALEPH and second letter was BET in the Phoenician language. The Greeks took the Phoenicians ALPHABEAT and made their own and then the Romans took the Greek alphabet and made their own, the Latin alphabet that is the most widely used in the world.

[Torie]

Thanks. You might email Hart.