Albert Einstein – German-Born American Physicist and Philosopher

Albert Einstein is a German-Born American Physicist and philosopher who is generally acknowledged as the preeminent scientist of the twentieth century who challenged and disproved fundamental ideas concerning the physical universe. His theories changed the way physicists think about the universe, treating energy and matter as interchangeable and linking space with time and gravitation. His status as an icon of genius, coupled with his spiritual and compassionate nature, made him an importance voice in world affairs as well.

Albert Einstein's history included him developing the general theory of relativity, one of the pillars of modern physics. He is best known in popular culture for his mass-energy equivalence formula E = mc2. Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, in the kingdom of Wurttemberg in the German empire on 14 March 1879. His father was Hermann Einstein, a salesman and engineer; his mother was Pauline Einstein. The family moved to Munich in 1880 and Albert Einstein attended a catholic school from the age of five for three years. When he was eight he was transferred to the luitpold gymnasium, where he received advanced primary and secondary school education until he left Germany seven years later. On 17 April 1955, Albert Einstein experienced internal bleeding caused by the rapture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which had previously been reinforced surgically in 1948. He took the draft of a speech he was preparing for a television appearance commemorating the state of Israel's seventh anniversary with him to the hospital, but didn't live long enough to complete it. Einstein refused surgery saying; I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share it is time to go. I will do it elegantly. He died in the hospital early the next morning at the age of 76, having continued to work even till the end. During the autopsy, the pathologist of Princeton hospital removed Einstein's brain for preservation without the permission of his family, with the hope that scientist would be able to discover what made him so intelligent. Einstein's remains were cremated and his ashes were scattered at an undisclosed location.

The Theory of Relativity proposed by Albert Einstein in the early part of the 20th century is one of the most significant scientific advances of all time. Although the concept of relativity was not introduced by Einstein, his major contribution was the recognition that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant and an absolute physical boundary for motion. Einstein also derived the famous equation, E = mc2, which reveals the equivalence of mass and energy. When Einstein applied his theory to gravitational fields, he derived the ""curved space-time continuum"" which depicts the dimensions of space and time as a two-dimensional surface where massive objects create valleys and dips in the surface. This aspect of relativity explained the phenomena of light bending around the sun, predicted black holes as well as the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation: a discovery rendering fundamental anomalies in the classic Steady-State hypothesis. Einstein's theories of both special and general relativity have been confirmed to be accurate to a very high degree over recent years, and the data has been shown to corroborate many key predictions; the most famous being the solar eclipse of 1919 bearing testimony that the light of stars is indeed deflected by the sun as the light passes near the sun on its way to earth. The total solar eclipse allowed astronomers to analyze starlight near the edge of the sun, which had been previously inaccessible to observers due to the intense brightness of the sun. It also predicted the rate at which two neutron stars orbiting one another will move toward each other. When this phenomenon was first documented, general relativity proved itself accurate to better than a trillionth of a percent precision, thus making it one of the best confirmed principles in all of physics.

Furthermore, Einstein has presented society with other revolutionary theories. One of his many known invention is the quantum physics. It is the theoretical basis of modern physics that explains the nature and behavior of matter and energy on the atomic and subatomic level. Another theory he presented that is most commonly known is the Brownian Motion. It is the random motion of particles suspended in a fluid resulting from their collision with the fast-moving molecules in the fluid.

Einstein's invention and theories had a great influence on society. Many people associate Einstein with the development of the atomic bomb or nuclear energy. In 1905, Einstein was indeed the first person to prove that atoms actually exist. And in his most famous formula that E = mc2, he showed that the mass of atoms contains enormous quantities of energy; this theory was only of indirect importance of the atomic revolution. It is due to his theory of relativity that we are able to receive such sharp images today. Electrons are accelerated in a television and according to the theory of relativity, the mass of electrons thereby increases measurably. Digital cameras can only take pictures because they contain sensor which converts light into electricity. The principle can be traced directly back to Einstein, who explained the photoelectric effect. Furthermore, his work form the basis for the development of all equipment which converts light into electricity from digital cameras to solar cells which also made him win the Nobel Prize in November 1922. All the technologies which involve the use of laser beams are based on Einstein's theories. Einstein was the first to recognize the principles of monochrome, bundled laser light. Satellite-assisted positioning systems on earth, so-called GPS, make use of Einstein's idea. Einstein's influence on present day inventions is still effective till now. Einstein played an important role in pending quantum computer technological revolution.

Einstein's positive impacts include his major contribution to science has extracted the positive impacts. One of his impacts is his early work on relativity dealt only with systems or observers in uniform motion with respect to one another and is referred to as the special theory of relativity. In 1911 he asserted the equivalence of gravitation and inertia, and in 1916 he completed his mathematical formulation of a general theory of relativity that included gravitation as a determiner of the curvature of a space time continuum. Another of Einstein's impact is the invention of photons and the quantum theory. He postulated light quantum, upon which he based his explanation of the photoelectric effect, and he developed the quantum theory of specific heat. Although he was one of the leading figures in the development of quantum theory, Einstein regarded it as only a temporarily useful structure. Einstein wished his theories to have that simplicity and beauty which he thought fitting for an interpretation of the universe and which he did not find in quantum theory.

Einstein's thoughts were based on bringing less destruction to the world. He did not directly participate in the invention of atomic bombs but as we go on we will get to know that he was instrumental in facilitating its development. He declared that large amount of energy could be released from the small amount of matter, with the equation E=mc2. Though bombs were not what he had in mind when in published his equation. Einstein's greatest role in the invention of the atomic bomb was signing a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt urging that the bomb be built. As the realization of nuclear weapons grew near, Einstein looked beyond the current war to future problems that such weapons could bring. He wrote to physicist Niels Bohr in December 1944,when the war is over, then there will be in all countries a pursuit of secret war preparations with technological means which will lead inevitably to preventative wars and to destruction even more terrible than the present destruction of life.[Clark, pg. 698]. In November 1954, five months before his death, Einstein summarized his feelings about his role in the creation of the atomic bomb: I made one great mistake in my life when I signed the letter to president Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made, but there was some justification “the danger that Germans would make them.[Clark, pg. 752]

In my opinion, I believe that Albert Einstein in one of the many greatest scientists that stepped foot on this society. Einstein's discoveries helped to solidify his reputation as an eminent scientist.

A man of many talents and abilities, Albert Einstein made a great impact on the world. His revolutionary theories and scientific inventions gave people much need improvements in their life; and his attention to the world served as an example for other cities and towns.

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