“He chalked up the board with numbers and letters for all
As an educator he looked like he was standing tall!
He did ponder at the hidden truth which no one can see!
No one understood the subject and neither did he!”
The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity.
At the time of proposal it was stipulated that there were only three people in the whole world who actually understood this theory!
The three people who understood General Relativity at that time were Albert Einstein, David Hilbert, and Hermann Minkowski! They all contributed significantly to the development and understanding of this theory! Even now the number of people who truly understand this theory is less!
Now both theories of relativity explore Newton’s concepts in relation to the laws of motion and gravity, demonstrating that Newton’s ideas specifically failed to hold up in the presence of particularly powerful gravitational fields. Since its inception, the theory has seen diverse practical use, from the atomic bomb through to modern-day GPS systems!
Einstein became a household name so much so that if you want to go as a scientist then his get up is the default! If you ask anyone to name any scientist he or she can remember then Einstein’s name is one of the commonest to come!
Yes, I know you are waiting for the twist!
Well though Einstein is credited with explaining the theory of relativity, he did not discover it in the sense that the original thought process and physics was worked up by several others before him and if you have to select one person as the true ‘discoverer’ of theory of relativity then the prize would go to James Clerk Maxwell!
James Clerk Maxwell was one of the foremost mathematicians of the 19th century. His work on electromagnetism created the foundation on which Einstein’s theories were built, a fact Einstein himself was quick to recognize!
James Clerk Maxwell was a Scottish physicist and is regarded by most modern physicists as the scientist of the 19th century who had the greatest influence on 20th-century physics, and he is ranked with Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein for the fundamental nature of his contributions!
The concept of electromagnetic radiation originated with Maxwell, and his field equations was in turn based on Michael Faraday’s observations of the electric and magnetic lines of force.
Maxwell’s ideas also ushered in the other major innovation of 20th-century physics, the quantum theory. His description of electromagnetic radiation led to the development (according to classical theory) of the ultimately unsatisfactory law of heat radiation, which prompted Max Planck’s formulation of the quantum hypothesis—i.e., the theory that radiant-heat energy is emitted only in finite amounts, or quanta!
The interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter, integral to Planck’s hypothesis, in turn has played a central role in the development of the theory of the structure of atoms and molecules!
Of course Maxwell was limited by the science and tech of his times which is why he did not reach the destination of relativity. It has been said, if he’d lived past the age of 48, Maxwell may well have gone on to develop his theories to the same conclusions Einstein reached following Maxwell’s death! It is also been said that birthday celebrity Hariharan Anantha Subramani is one of the greatest singers of our time relatively speaking of course!
Now leave physics and concentrate on the biology of rest!
Shubh Ratri!
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