Albert Einstein: Historical and Scientific

Albert Einstein: Historical and Scientific Icon

Science and celebrity rarely coexist but somehow, with Albert Einstein, they found a way to live together and make the man just as iconic today as he was in his own day. Rarely do individuals live to see their impact upon society but Einstein lived to see how his theories could literally change the world in which he lived. While most people may not be able to explain Einstein's theories, they can identify the face of Einstein. While not everyone knows how Einstein's contributions to society work, almost everyone benefits from his knowledge. Historically, the man left a lasting impression on how we understand aspects of the universe. His ideas opened the door to more discoveries that have yet to be unraveled. Einstein was indeed the greatest scientist that ever lived but he was also a celebrity - something with which he was very comfortable. The very word, Einstein, is synonymous with genius and it all because a man thinking about beams of light challenged and subsequently changed history with thoughts about that light, and how it interplays with space and time. His most famous equation, E=mc2, serves to one of the most recognizable formulas to those less knowledgeable about scientific equations. People know that it belongs to Einstein and they know it has something to do with energy and speed. Einstein is the perfect example of how learning is a never-ending process. From the deep idea of bending light to the easy task of accessing information online, we see shadows of Einstein everyday.

Einstein's image does not just grace the pages of history and science books - it graces the pages of western civilization books as well. This should alert the public to his importance and prominence. The Albert Einstein Archives refers to the scientist as a celebrity, which is not something for which physicists generally yearn. His life was interesting and his mind was even more interesting. Richard Panek, in "The E. Factor," claims that Einstein "sought truth in equations and then trusted that studies of the heavens would back him up. Almost all of modern cosmology and theoretical physics follows from that leap of faith -- or leap, perhaps, of reason" (Panek). Leap of faith or not, Einstein had the ability to see things differently, which allowed him to open doors of imagination that many are only allowed to peek through.

Einstein stood on the shoulder of a giant by improving Newton's theory of gravity. Part of Einstein's genius stems from the fact that his mind did not operate like those of his fellow physicists. It should be noted that Einstein was not just an abstract thinker. We read that he "grasped the world in concrete images and strove to translate them into words and equations that could be understood by others" (Albert Einstein Archive). This helps us to see how he could see space and not see "empty" space. This way of seeing things helped him understand them on a different level. He also believed that the exploration of physics could be developed by reducing other laws in union with geometrical proportions. A good example of this is how Einstein expanded upon Newton's theory. Newton could not explain Mercury's orbit but Einstein could.

Furthermore, Einstein predicted solar eclipses and other star anomalies that have proven to be true. (Pasachoff 326). None of his predictions could be possible without his curious way of thinking. The Albert Einstein Archive makes it a point to say, "his true tools were a penetrating and intuitive grasp of the workings of the natural world and the 'thought experiment' - an intellectual exercise used by physicists to reach a theoretical conclusion from idealized physical processes" (Albert Einstein Archive). However, Einstein was not a typical scientist, physicist, or person by any stretch of the imagination. In his article, "Person of the Century: Albert Einstein," Frederic Golden asserts:

Even now scientists marvel at the daring of general relativity... But the great physicist was also engagingly simple, trading ties and socks for mothy sweaters and sweatshirts. He tossed off pithy aphorisms... And playful doggerel as easily as equations. Viewing the hoopla over him with humorous detachment, he variously referred to himself as the Jewish saint or artist's model. He was a cartoonist's dream come true. (Golden)

Einstein was a part of history because he knew his place in it. He did what many successful people do - which is work upon what those before him have put forward.

It should also be recognized that Einstein did not just contribute to physics - he helped it evolve into what it is today. That includes all of the advancements that have been possible because of his theories. His theory of relativity was introduced in 1905 and by the end of the 1930s, he was already considered by many to be one of the greatest scientists the world has ever seen. His innovative theories include the theory of relativity, the mass-energy formula, the Brownian motion theory, and the photon theory of light. Simply put, Einstein's theories can be summed up saying, "Nothing can move faster than light" (Time). The scientist thought that mass and energy were equal, which resulted in his formula, E=mc2. According to Time magazine, the physicist "Louis de Broglie called Einstein's contributions that year 'blazing rockets which in the dark of the night suddenly cast a brief but powerful illumination over an immense unknown region'" (Time). In addition, this new insight has been called everything from inconceivable to breathtaking by his admirers and colleagues. It should be no surprise, however. The man did have a unique view of the world. This view, coupled with his brilliance, could only result in fantastic ideas can most of us could not make up if we tried. Perhaps another interesting fact about Einstein was that most of his work had to take place in his imagination. It was if the man had a mental breakthrough that has manifested itself in the very complex operations of the universe and the deceptively simple workings of things we find in our homes.

His ideas were spectacular and once they were worked out on paper, they became that other world in which the impossible became possible. The equation, E=mc2 is one of the most fascinating theories because it suggests that "small quantities of matter could be turned into enormous amounts of energy" (Chambers 965). Andrew Liddle claims that this equation is one of the most successful scientific theories ever" (Liddle). This formula allows us to envision nuclear reactions that provide stars with energy. The greatest example of this is the sun. E = mc2 also indicates how large masses can contain large amounts of energy. One of the formula's implications involve atomic weights of elements, which do not appear to be what we might expect judging by the scope of their isotopes. According to the dictionary of Scientific Biography, "The isotopes are "slightly decreased by the mass equivalent of the binding energy that holds their molecules together. This decrease can be explained by, and calculated from, the famous Einstein formula" (Dictionary of Scientific Biography). Einstein's formulas and equations allow physicists and scientists to understand things that were just beyond comprehension before. The theory of relativity is also historically significant in the scientific community because it reconciles the laws of mechanics with the laws of electromagnetic fields. Here Einstein demonstrates that "time and space are not absolute but relative to the observer" (Noble 961).

In addition, the theory of relativity upholds the notion that time and space coexist in a mutual continuum. (Craig 815) Furthermore, Einstein's formula "led to striking conclusions of the highest philosophical interest" (Chambers 963), including the consideration that space and time are "aspects of a single continuum" (963). Einstein predicted things as well. His theory of relativity predicted the gravitational deflection of light and gravitational redshifts, which is explained through examining white dwarfs. To put it simply, Einstein's theory of relativity becomes even more significant because it allows us to know more than we would know without it.

Einstein's impact on the world can also be measured by the fact that his theory of relativity appears to pass three critical tests. According to J. Danby, the theory "accounted for the full motion of the perihelion of the orbit of Mercury" (Danby). Mercury is the best object to test the theory on since it is the fastest moving planet in the solar system. The second test is how mass can move or bend light. Last, clocks do appear to move more slowly under strong gravitational pulls. An excellent example of how this aspect of the theory is in pay can be found in global positioning systems, in which satellites use gravity to create maps of the earth. Danby notes, "The clocks in that system must make relativistic corrections for both their motions relative to the Earth" (Danby). Einstein is heads and shoulders above all others because his theories are still in use today. The fact that his theories can stand up to the tests of time are just a testament to the way in which Einstein's brain worked. Einstein also had a unique way of viewing the universe. He did not see open space as empty space. He wrote, "Physical objects are not in space, but these objects are spatially extended (as fields). In this way the concept 'empty space' loses its meaning" (Einstein qtd. On Space and Motion). He thought the physical reality of space was simply a representation of different coordinates of space and time.

Part of Einstein's radical thinking was the notion that distance and time are not absolute. He could look at the clock and sense that the rate of that ticking clock depended on the "motion of the observer of that clock" (Lightman). In addition to this, Einstein's ideas posited that gravity pulling one object in one direction is equal to a force accelerating in the opposite direction. Lightman helps us understand this notion with the image of an "elevator accelerating upwards feels just like gravity pushing you into the floor" (Lightman). Lightman maintains that Einstein had to come to this conclusion because gravity must move and operate by the same laws of the universe as space and time do. Einstein took the notion a little farther, noting that the gravity of any mass has the power to warp the space and time around it. This idea is a little more difficult to grasp because it seems to conflict with ideas that have been considered absolute. The idea of a clock ticking slower the closer it becomes to a mass of gravity is difficult to imagine but thinking "outside the box," so to speak, was what allowed Einstein to see time differently.

Einstein was also an enigma because he did not seem to fit the typical genius definition when he was younger. Certain seemingly unimportant events triggered Einstein's curiosity. A compass given to him by his father and a clock tower were early inspirations for the iconic genius. The clock towers are especially important because they helped him think about time and space. It is reported that after passing by the clock tower on e day, Einstein "came to a sudden realization: time is not absolute. In other words, despite our common perception that a second is always a second everywhere in the universe, the rate at which time flows depends upon where you are and how fast you are traveling" (AMNH). In his article, "Einstein's Clocks: The Place of Time," Peter Galison ponders over Einstein's breakthrough that "toppled" (Galison 355) Newton's theory of space and time. He notes that to physicists Poincare, Lorentz, and Abraham, Einstein's notion must have seemed "startling, almost incomprehensible, because it began with basic assumptions about the behavior of clocks, rulers, and bodies in force-free motion" (355). Its basics hinge on the structure of electrons, forces of nature, and the dynamics of ether. Philosophers, as well as fellow physicists were influenced by his ideas and when it was all said and done, his paper, "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies," became the "best-known physics paper of the twentieth century" (356). The paper "departs so radically from the older, "practical' world of classical mechanics that the work has become a model of the revolutionary divide" (356). Here we see how Einstein needed to see things differently and think about them differently in order to fully understand with what he was working. He had to go beyond what the world had previously established as truth and absolute - and it paid off. It was not long before Einstein became "internationally renowned" (History.com). He won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1922 and he was indeed a celebrity. It is reported that "his visit to any part of the world became a national event; photographers and reporters followed him everywhere" (History.com).

Einstein does deserve every bit of notoriety he gets. However, as many have observed, there is much more to Einstein's image than just a scientist. He was funny, comical, spontaneous, and likable. Golden and Levenson, as well as many others, assert that the very moment Einstein became an icon was November 6, 1919. While the New York Times missed the opportunity to break the news first, the British Royal Society did not. During a special meeting, they decided to reveal the results of observations that "seemed to confirm Einstein's theory of gravity, the general theory of relativity" (Levenson). The headline of the story was enough to pique anyone's imagination, claiming, "Revolution in Science -- New Theory of the Universe -- Newton's Ideas Overthrown.'" the New York Times picked up the story, placing Einstein into global celebrity. They quoted him as saying there were '"Lights All Askew in the Heavens...[the] stars [were] not where they seemed or were calculated to be'" (Times qtd. In Levenson). By the end of the year, Einstein had "crossed the point of no return" (Levenson). Einstein was an enigma and his legend is part scientist and part icon.

Levenson tried to describe how Einstein is a part of the public domain today. He simply states that man "was and has remained public property" (Levenson). Of course, just like Levenson, we cannot have that thought without asking the question why. Levenson claims that the answer "lies with the historical events preceding his first contact with the public" (Levenson). Einstein introduced his general theory of relativity in November 1915 in Berlin, the "capital of a nation absorbed in the most destructive war Europe had ever known" (Levenson).

To make matters worse, the name of science had been "implicated" (Levenson) in the war with chlorine being utilized as a weapon. Einstein commented that "our whole, highly praised technological progress, and civilization in general, can be likened to an ax in the hand of a pathological criminal" (Einstein qtd. In Levenson). These events did not overshadow what was about to come, however. Einstein's ideas were, as Levenson points out, "strange, difficult, true, and completely innocent of the disastrous war just past" (Levenson). In a way, Einstein's theories can be seen as a bean of light in a shadow. New ideas such as a fourth dimension and warped space were exciting and promising. These were pleasant alternatives to the "memory of the killing grounds of the western front" (Levenson). It would not be long, though, before another war would force Einstein into the limelight for altogether different reasons that have been more closely linked to the man than seems fair.

Thomas Levenson looks at Einstein's popularity a result of how he changed not only the world but also how the world thought about things. He asserts, "Between 1905 and 1925, Einstein transformed humankind's understanding of nature on every scale, from the smallest to that of the cosmos as a whole" (Levenson). The most amazing aspect of this change in thought is that it is still in practice today. In short, Einstein's theories stand the test of time and the problems that he could not solve then are problems that cannot be solved now. Another powerful component to the man's iconic stature was the fact that he was driven by a vision. According to the American Museum of Natural history, Einstein had a goal to "describe all physical phenomena -- from the smallest subatomic particles to the entire universe" (AMNH). His dream included doing this under a "Grand Unified Theory," something that is still sought after today. In fact, according to the museum, this theory is "one of the hottest topics pursued in physics today" (AMNH). What we see about Einstein's work, as with Newton's, was that it laid the foundation for further work to continue.

As with most great thinkers, one idea is simply not enough. Panek notes that after Einstein became ensconced as the greatest thinker of his age, he was pondering other possibilities. His mind moved from space, time, and gravity to the "power of the equation" (Panek). Einstein is quoted as saying, "Never before in my life have I troubled myself over anything so much... And I have gained enormous respect for mathematics, whose more subtle parts I considered until now, in my ignorance, as pure luxury" (Einstein qtd. In Panek). We can see the fruit of his hard thinking work with the theory of general relativity. Panek believes that this is the theory that "had the newly confident Einstein telling God how the universe must work" (Panek). Panek asserts that by 1933, Einstein "had no doubts about the path to scientific truth" (Panek). In a speech he delivered at Oxford, he stated, "Our experience hitherto justifies us in believing that nature is the realization of the simplest conceivable mathematical ideas. I am convinced that we can discover by means of purely mathematical constructions the concepts and the laws connecting them with each other" (Einstein qtd. In Panek). His belief was correct - it has lead physicists and mathematicians to discover black holes and dark energy. It goes even farther than that, as well. When we think of the big bang, we might not always think of Einstein but it was his equation that led a Russian mathematician to work with this theory and come up with the notion of a universe that is expanding. This type of growth is only possible if the galaxy's "inward gravity is not sufficiently strong to counterbalance the outward motion of galaxies" (Lightman). Lightman also claims that most of the work astronomers and mathematicians do today is an attempt to work out the numbers Einstein imparted with better accuracy.

Einstein is popular because he was, in part, a victim of time. In the late 1930s, physics underwent a series of swift advances. The fission process had been discovered and this meant that it was only a matter of time before man could control atomic power. Physicists and mathematicians around the globe understood that this atomic power could result in a nuclear weapon. This fact was worsened with the worsening state of affairs in Europe. Physicists and scientists expressed deep concern over Germany discovering how to build an atomic bomb. As a result, Einstein and others like him warned the American government to watch and be prepared for quick action should this situation arise and wrote to the government, stating that it was conceivable for others to "build 'extremely powerful bombs of a new type.'" This letter was one of the motivating factors that lead President Roosevelt to start the Manhattan Project. However, Princeton University maintains that Einstein's "role in the development and use of nuclear weapons has attained mythic proportions" (Princeton History). Now, we can see how things might have been blown out of proportion - especially in our media-driven society. War is just as detestable as it was then and it just a threat as well. Einstein's involvement was minor.

It is important to note that Einstein did not support using the bomb. In his mind, the atomic bomb was only to be deterrent for foreign nations that might be tempted to exert their power on America. Einstein was, however, "at the forefront of the campaign waged by atomic scientists" (Princeton History). He wanted to educate others and as he has said:

My participation in the production of the atomic bomb consisted of one single act: I signed a letter to President Roosevelt... In which I emphasized the necessity of conducting large-scale experimentation with regard to the feasibility of producing an atom bomb... I saw no alternative but to act as I did, although I have always been a convinced pacifist. (Einstein qtd. In Princeton History)