I've had some discussions with a friend of mine which is a mathematics professor here in Portugal, and he seems to hold the believe that Albert Einstein was a false genius, he implies that he was a moronic failure until he got his job as a patent clerk, and then, in a matter of few years, he published most of the thesis which gave him celebrity status.
Discuss...
He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither
- Benjamin Franklin - 1759
I've had some discussions with a friend of mine which is a mathematics professor here in Portugal, and he seems to hold the believe that Albert Einstein was a false genius, he implies that he was a moronic failure until he got his job as a patent clerk, and then, in a matter of few years, he published most of the thesis which gave him celebrity status.
Discuss...
This is a very old debate Ron. Ive heard the same thing from various academics.
He was a no body, got the job at the patent office and in a few years, boom.
He may have ripped some shit off (probably, its not like he was upper crust type, working guy like u and me) but his original stuff, especially the theory of Special Relativity and the Cosmological Constant.
So unless u have solid proof that he stole those theories or stole all theories and patents, then this discussion, as u well know, is circular.
I do however think he did rip some shit off. I know I would.
But I doubt his major contributions to science (not the bomb work) were/are his own.
Still....if evidence was produced that was solid and proved he ripped off his most acclaimed theories...well, I would accept it....do you think the science community as a whole would?
A.E is like a God in a way....
PS
Another thing I dont mind discussing with you bro. Astrophysics...kinda an amateur. I just have a hard time finding latest papers as usually we (general public) have to either wait for a docu or some kinda televised presentation, annoying.
I dont have access to the new, latest papers....wish i did.
I've had some discussions with a friend of mine which is a mathematics professor here in Portugal, and he seems to hold the believe that Albert Einstein was a false genius, he implies that he was a moronic failure until he got his job as a patent clerk, and then, in a matter of few years, he published most of the thesis which gave him celebrity status.
Most theories are built upon earlier work by other scientists. Besides, if Einstein was a fraud he'd be exposed within a matter of days when speaking to other top scientists.
Can't really discuss more about this subject without some actual contradictions posed that can be analysed. It's a claim without any visible argument or facts.
With all the paranoia going on in the academic world concerning plagiarism (I assume it was the same in Einsten's time) it's highly unlikely someone can get to that level with stealing stuff and get away with it. Why doesn't this friend of yours give some proof? I can say Newton was a moron and the apple falling on his head should get the credit, but it's wortless, just nonsense.
Most ppl don't even begin to grasp his genius. Plus all ppl think he only discovered E=mc^2 (which is only valid for particles at rest btw) formula.
He dared to push Plancks discovery about quanta when he dabbled with photoelectric effect. He greatly contributed to special and general theory of relativity (he basically invented GTR). He contributed to solid state physics and statistical mechanics, with explanation of Brownian motion he gave a good explanation of size of the atom.
Sure he was stubborn, you can see that in things like EPR paradox, in which he tried to say QM was incomplete. That was a failure but he gave some great gedanken experiment.
His 'greatest blunder' was adding a cosmological constant, which turned out to be the most brilliant thing in explaining the growing of the universe.
He was different because he had great imagination and lots of free time.
Only a genius can make simple explanations that change the face of world...
"Quantum mechanics is actually, contrary to it's reputation, unbeliveably simple, once you take the physics out."
Scott Aaronson
chiv wrote:
thats true you know. newton didnt discover gravity. the apple told him about it, and then he killed it. the core was never found.
Later in life, Tesla made remarkable claims concerning a "teleforce" weapon. The press called it a "peace ray" or death ray. In total, the components and methods included:
An apparatus for producing manifestations of energy in free air instead of in a high vacuum as in the past. This, according to Tesla in 1934, was accomplished.
A mechanism for generating tremendous electrical force. This, according to Tesla, was also accomplished.
A means of intensifying and amplifying the force developed by the second mechanism.
A new method for producing a tremendous electrical repelling force. This would be the projector, or gun, of the invention.
Tesla worked on plans for a directed-energy weapon from the early 1900s until his death. In 1937, Tesla wrote a treatise entitled "The Art of Projecting Concentrated Non-dispersive Energy through the Natural Media", which concerned charged particle beams. Tesla published the document in an attempt to expound on the technical description of a "superweapon that would put an end to all war." This treatise describing the particle beam is currently in the Nikola Tesla Museum archive in Belgrade. It describes an open-ended vacuum tube with a gas jet seal that allows particles to exit, a method of charging particles to millions of volts, and a method of creating and directing nondispersive particle streams (through electrostatic repulsion).
His records indicate that the device is based on a narrow stream of atomic clusters of liquid mercury or tungsten accelerated via high voltage (by means akin to his magnifying transformer). Tesla gives the following description concerning the particle gun's operation:
The nozzle would send concentrated beams of particles through the free air, of such tremendous energy that they will bring down a fleet of 10,000 enemy airplanes at a distance of 200 miles from a defending nation's border and will cause armies to drop dead in their tracks.
The weapon could be used against ground based infantry or for antiaircraft purposes. Tesla tried to interest the US War Department in the device. He also offered this invention to European countries. None of the governments purchased a contract to build the device. He was unable to act on his plans.
Tesla was engineer + physicist. He was badass too (we wouldn't have todays technology without his discoveries), but Einstein did tons of important discoveries too...
"Quantum mechanics is actually, contrary to it's reputation, unbeliveably simple, once you take the physics out."
Scott Aaronson
chiv wrote:
thats true you know. newton didnt discover gravity. the apple told him about it, and then he killed it. the core was never found.
Tesla was engineer + physicist. He was badass too (we wouldn't have todays technology without his discoveries), but Einstein did + 4.184×10^9 Joules of important discoveries too...
Fixed!
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- Benjamin Franklin - 1759
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