[AZ-Observing] Re: Steward Observatory Public Evening Series: The Astrophysical Einstein [10-24-05]
- From: Stan Gorodenski <stan_gorodenski@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 12:36:26 -0800
While Einstein has been my idol since childhood, I think it should be
pointed out that he did not work in a vacuum. He stood on the shoulders
of giants, as one expression goes, and there were other very competent
people doing work in this area whose results he made use of - Lorenz and
Minkowski for a few examples. He also, in his younger years before
publishing his 1905 papers and the 1915 paper had regular meetings with
other young physicist friends that he brainstormed with. I am sure he
used these sessions to cement his own ideas, run them by others, as well
as incorporating the ideas of others. For example, I recall (my memory
is not that good) reading that when one of two other associates did not
show up for the usual evening meeting, him and the other person filled
this person's room with cigar smoke and and did other things to the
apartment to let him know they did not appreciate him not attending.
I now view Einstein as someone who, although obviously at a level much
higher than me and many others, was just another one of those many
bright young men, maybe slightly brighter and more motivated than most,
who in their youth did some very monumental thing. But only in their
youth, which seems to also apply to Einstein (with regard to _major_
accomplishments). I think things were going in the direction of a
relativistic interpretation for physical results after the
Michelson-Morley experiment and over time relativistic theories would
have been derived by others (for example by Poincare?) had not Einstein
been around then. He just happened to be around at the right time, had
an ability in the right area (physics), and happened to work on the
right theory at the time that had wide consequences. As with many young
researchers who are gifted, much of their abilities and views are
narrowly focused, and Einstein's objection to Quantum mechanics, which
he could never accept fully, is an example of this.
My own impressions are not in concrete, but that is they way I view
things now.
Stan
Jeff Hopkins wrote:
>Brian,
>
>You are correct. Einstein's Nobel Prize was indeed for the
>photoelectric effect while he is most famous for his papers on
>relativity.
>
>In 1905 he wrote three papers:
>One on the photoelectric effect
>One on Special Relativity and
>One on Brownian motion.
>
>In 1915 he published his work on General Relativity.
>
>In 1921 he received his Nobel Prize in physics for his work with the
>Photoelectric effect.
>
>
>
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