Critical Thinking Blog Post #6

Critical Thinking About a Scientist’s Life and Work

Of all the scientists to come to be known from the twentieth century, Albert Einstein was known mostly by all. Einstein devoted himself to solving the mysteries of the world, but few know about the captivating life that led this scientist to discover such grand achievements (“Albert Einstein” 1). While most do not understand his work, everyone knows the impact on the world of science that has become astonishing. Einstein’s theory of relativity and conception of time changed the way science that is observed today. “…[T]wo most fruitful physical theories of the 20th century is the theory of relativity [and the conception of time], which to scientists and laymen alike is synonymous with the name of Einstein” (“Albert Einstein” 4). The use of the theory of relativity eventually lead to the most famous equation of E=MC2. Einstein also dove into interesting questions and conclusions of what he thought of time and the nature of time and space; he answered the questions on how and why time flows. “A world in which time is absolute is a world of consolation. For while the movements of people are unpredictable, the movement of time is predictable” (Lightman 37). Einstein’s discoveries about time and space in Alan Lightman’s Einstein’s Dreams are all about wonder and awe. The book points to the wonder of physics solving the nature of time and space, it was a beautiful discovery. While we enjoy the book’s portrayal of different ‘thought experiments’ with time, other sources like historical newspaper articles and several scholarly essays convincingly point out the perilous side of Einstein’s discoveries in physics, which led directly to the development of atomic weapons.

Work Citation
"Albert Einstein." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 228- 231. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 Apr. 2010.
Lightman, Alan. Einstein’s Dreams. New York: Warner Books, 1993. Print.