Newton more important than Einstein: poll

PhysOrg.com ^ | 23 November 2005 | Staff

[Right Wing Assault]

An American poll would have probably named Bill Nye as history's greatest scientist.

Back when I was a kid they would have selected Professor Irwin Corey.

[A. Pole]

Right. Heavier things fall faster. He didn't even run experiments to see whether or not it was true or when it was true. What's an experiment?

Heavier things DO fall faster! Just try to drop a feather and a stone - you will see :)

Seriously, just compare how science looked BEFORE Aristotle and AFTER Aristotle. Then look at the science BEFORE Newton and AFTER Newton. Then do the same with Einstein.

Aristotle is the greatest in science, even if Plato is a greater thinker. See my tagline.

[JCEccles]

the impact of Newton was astounding. The development of calculus alone has changed so much of science. Of course, this sort of question makes one think of other greats such as Galileo Galilei, who had to face a world of mindless religious fanaticism which would have rather seen us all as slaves eating dirt.

Newton was profondly, deeply, even zealously religious.

More recently, Kurt Godel, one of the greatest logicians of all time, was also a religious believer.

The notion that religious belief necessarily cramps the intellect, that atheism is essential to thinking clearly and accurately, is a modern superstition and conceit.

[twas]

Yes, I agree.

Einstein thought Newton was pretty good too.

Much of what Einstein worked on was being discussed by many physicists of the day. I give Einstein full credit for making the leap concerning light, time, and space but there were many people discussing and debating these ideas.

Newton, on the other hand, was working on ideas in secret. He wasn't collaborating with other scientists and debating "what ifs"; he came up with revolutionary ideas, as far as we know, completely on his own.

I think the difference in perception between the two is that Einsteins ideas have a "cool" factor. Warped space-time, gravity "waves", "packets" of light... weird and wild stuff.

[A. Pole]

"If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulder of giants." ~Isaac Newton

He took it from Lukanus.

[phantomworker]

Leibniz invented calculus. Here is another hotly debated issue. LOL!

http://www.andrews.edu/~calkins/math/biograph/bioleib.htm

[Right Wing Assault]

Did Newton invent calculus? Don't think so.

Sure as heck did. Newton and Liebniz both invented calculus independently. Modern notation is more like Liebniz. Newton was the first to apply calc to physics.

[Brilliant]

I don't see how it's arguable. Newton formulated the law of gravity, he perfected the laws of motion, and he invented calculus. Einstein was great, but not as key as was Newton.

[tet68]

Obviously Newton, with out him we wouldn't have gravity.

[phantomworker]

See post #46. It is a hotly debated issue as well.

[Dimensio]

My understanding of that quote is that he was directing it to to someone else (rather than referring to himself) and that he was not speaking in a flattering tone.

Though I could be mistaken.

[A. Pole]

What ever happened to Newtonian physics, though?

It is still there, being used 99.9% of time.

[Right Wing Assault]

Newton was doing what we call differentiation and integrals in 1666 at the age of 24.

[phantomworker]

Newtonian physics: 99.9% of the time. What is the other 0.1%?

[jennyp]

Pro-Newton scientists argue he led the transition from an era of superstition and dogma to the modern scientific method.

This gets my vote. As I write, this battle is still being waged.

Einstein is like a fine wine that needs to be aged before the full impact of his ideas can be appreciated.

I wonder how long it took for Newton's equations to filter down to real-world discoveries & inventions in a big way? I wonder how long it'll take for the full effects of Einstein's theories to work themselves out in the world?

[Bouchart]

"My understanding of that quote is that he was directing it to to someone else (rather than referring to himself) and that he was not speaking in a flattering tone."

As I recall he used it as an insult towards Liebniz.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

TO think ,today my son attended a children's science class and learned about the famous contributions to science by Jane Goodall ~ for Women's science day....(*sigh) We did ask the store owner, where the class was being held, when men's science day would be.It is an interesting poll.

[jennyp]

Heck, the full implications of Darwin's theories haven't finished influencing science either.

[phantomworker]

I thought Liebnitz did that? Never heard Newton's name mentioned the entire time I was in grad school (in math).

http://www.andrews.edu/~calkins/math/biograph/bioleib.htm

[M203M4]

Heck, the full implications of Darwin's theories haven't finished influencing science either.

Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!! *repels crevo infiltration*