Albert Einstein may have made the discoveries that led to nuclear and solar power, lasers and even a physical description of space and time, but Sir Isaac Newton had a greater impact on science and mankind, according to a poll published Wednesday.
Posted on 11/23/2005 6:04:12 PM PST by PatrickHenry
Newton, the 17th-century English scientist most famous for describing the laws of gravity and motion, beat Einstein in two polls conducted by eminent London-based scientific academy, the Royal Society.
More than 1,300 members of the public and 345 Royal Society scientists were asked separately which famous scientist made a bigger overall contribution to science, given the state of knowledge during his time, and which made a bigger positive contribution to humankind.
Newton was the winner on all counts, though he beat the German-born Einstein by only 0.2 of a percentage point (50.1 percent to 49.9 percent) in the public poll on who made the bigger contribution to mankind.
The margin was greater among scientists: 60.9 percent for Newton and 39.1 percent for Einstein.
The results were announced ahead of the "Einstein vs. Newton" debate, a public lecture at the Royal Society on Wednesday evening.
"Many people would say that comparing Newton and Einstein is like comparing apples and oranges, but what really matters is that people are appreciating the huge amount that both these physicists achieved, and that their impact on the world stretched far beyond the laboratory and the equation," said Royal Society president Lord Peter May.
Pro-Newton scientists argue he led the transition from an era of superstition and dogma to the modern scientific method.
His greatest work, the "Principia Mathematica", showed that gravity was a universal force that applied to all objects in the universe, finally ruling out the belief that the laws of motion were different for objects on Earth and in the heavens.
Einstein's supporters point out that his celebrated theory of relativity disproved Newton's beliefs on space and time and led to theories about the creation of the universe, black holes and parallel universes.
He also proved mathematically that atoms exist and that light is made of particles called photons, setting the theoretical foundations for nuclear bombs and solar power.
That's because Newton was a scientist :-) For some mathemeticians, they don't count since they USE math to do things.
Here's a history of calc I found. Newton and Leibniz are mentioned about 2/3 of the way down. Of course, you can probably find someone to disagree with this.
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/The_rise_of_calculus.html
I wonder how long it took for Newton's equations to filter down to real-world discoveries & inventions in a big way?
Based on things I see people do almost everyday, there's still a lot of filtering down into the real world left to be done.
But according to the very same Royal Society, of which Newton was the president at the time, Leibnitz was a thief. Along with this poll I wonder if the concept of "conflict of intrest" ever occured them?
As far as who is responsible for the spread and wide acceptance of Calculus, it was Leibnitz and the Bernoullis who deserve all the credit.
After Newton, Calculus was dead in England for another ninety years, in part due to Leibnitz-Newton controversy and also due to the needling of Bishop Berekley at the shaky underpinnings of the subject making the English eschew analysis in favor of classic geometry. Math major here. :)
Leibnitz played an important role, and was better at tooting his own horn, and publishing, but Newton was the one who came up with the idea.
Very interesting link. It's still debatable between Liebnitz and Newton, but we should be so grateful to both of them for the contribution.
As a tool, mathematics explains the universe.
Just out of curiosity, would you list and rank your top 5?
After Newton's death it literally tool the best mathematicians in the world a century to assimilate his work on Calculus.
As far as who is responsible for the spread and wide acceptance of Calculus, it was Leibnitz and the Bernoullis who deserve all the credit.
After Newton, Calculus was dead in England for another ninety years, in part due to Leibnitz-Newton controversy and also due to the needling of Bishop Berekley at the shaky underpinnings of the subject making the English eschew analysis in favor of classic geometry. Math major here. :)
How interesting. Could it also be the English versus German bias as well?
Not even the apple falling on his head cartoon?
I just did that in my vacuum chamber and it was a tie. Then I jumped out of a plane with my parachute and dropped a brick at the same time. The lighter brick beat me to the ground. Then I got into my time machine and went bach to ask Aristotle why that was. He was still scratching his head when I left. Just to put in a plug for Einstein, I gave him a flashlight that charges with solar cells. He was still scratching his head about that, too. I've had a busy evening.
Aristotle set the stage for Newton, sure, but for clearly explaining motion, Newton is the man. Yes, Einstein's work allowed amazing things to be developed, but I'll still take Newton.
Newton, qui genus humanum ingenio superavit
( ... who surpassed all men of genius )
is inscribed on the pedestal of his statue at Trinity College. The motto is lifted from Lucretius, who said it of Epicurus.
Also check out Halley's Ode To Newton.
( original is in Latin )
............... But now, behold,
Admitted to the banquets of the gods,
We contemplate the polities of heaven;
and spelling out the secrets of the earth,
Discern the changeless order of the world
And all the aeons of its history.
Then ye who now on heavenly nectar fare,
Come celebrate with me in song the name
Of Newton, to the Muses dear; for he
Unlocked the hidden treasuries of Truth:
So richly through his mind had Phoebus cast
The radiance of his own divinity.
Nearer the gods no mortal may approach.
Reading this brings Einstein to mind, since he found hidden treasuries within the hidden treasuries, as it were. Still, he came after.
Einstein wrote a foreword to Galileo's Dialogue concerning the Two Chief World Systems, and after leading off with lavish praise for the man, he says,
"In speaking this way I notice that I, too, am falling in with the general weakness of those who, intoxicated with devotion, exaggerate the stature of their heroes."
Still, I think Einstein is more "important" for us, if for no other reason than his discoveries may end up killing us all off! :-(
We do not live in vacuum chamber even if some of us own one.
"Leibnitz played an important role, and was better at tooting his own horn, and publishing, but Newton was the one who came up with the idea."
Maybe in the comic book version. But the idea had been around for centuries, probably back to the Egyptians. The Greek paradox of Achilles and the Hare (and the numerous variations) speaks to it.
It was very much a group effort. There was a group of Englishmen who really got it going, in the mid-1600s. Then Newton and Leibnitz (working entirely independently, but parallel) came up with some major advances.
But it really took a couple guys even after them (like Cauchy) to polish the calculus into what we know today.
It is still too early in the history of science to rate Einstein but I feel that one day there will be Einstein and then there will be all the rest. There is not to diminish Newton but Einstein stands apart from other scientists.
Newton, Pascal, Gallelio, Maxwell, Watt.
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