- #36
ZombieFeynman
Gold Member
- 329
- 12
I don't care if this is a troll. It is still worth noting that Einstein (and many of his Great Physicist Peers) were extraordinarily lucky in the time they were born:
1. Low competition. Physics was not as well established a field as chemistry, mathematics, or engineering. There were many fewer people working on developing the field.
2. Low barrier to entry. Mechanics and electrodynamics were largely classical. The whole of modern physics at the time could nearly fit into an undergraduate education.
3. Low hanging fruit; many interesting problems. There were several groundbreaking experimental discoveries in the period from 1850 - 1900 that set the stage for revolution across the board. The inner structure of the atom was just being uncovered. The notion of the aether seemed in jeopardy. The problem of blackbody radiation. Optical equipment was getting precise enough to offer the right resolution to observe thermal jiggling of suspended particles.
Einstein and his colleagues lived in a truly interesting time. Still, his genius and originality are noteworthy. My life's work will surely be incomparable to anyone of his 1905 papers. I just think we should be aware of the true golden age of physics in which he and some of his peers lived in.
1. Low competition. Physics was not as well established a field as chemistry, mathematics, or engineering. There were many fewer people working on developing the field.
2. Low barrier to entry. Mechanics and electrodynamics were largely classical. The whole of modern physics at the time could nearly fit into an undergraduate education.
3. Low hanging fruit; many interesting problems. There were several groundbreaking experimental discoveries in the period from 1850 - 1900 that set the stage for revolution across the board. The inner structure of the atom was just being uncovered. The notion of the aether seemed in jeopardy. The problem of blackbody radiation. Optical equipment was getting precise enough to offer the right resolution to observe thermal jiggling of suspended particles.
Einstein and his colleagues lived in a truly interesting time. Still, his genius and originality are noteworthy. My life's work will surely be incomparable to anyone of his 1905 papers. I just think we should be aware of the true golden age of physics in which he and some of his peers lived in.