March 7, 2007Diaz Hendropriyono
Washington, DC
Albert Einstein is unquestionably one of the most influential persons and a mathematical genius in the modern era. His huge contribution to science has transformed our understanding about the universe: from the very large to the very small particles. Einstein also radically challenged the then-established concepts of time and space. Who has not heard of E = MC²?
Einstein published eleven papers, six of which were about relativity. Einstein developed his Theory of Relativity at the young age of 26, a discovery that abandoned the concept of time and space as absolute entities. He asserted that there was no absolute motion in the universe, only relative motion, superseding the 200-year-old theory developed by Newton. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is seen as having two separate parts: special relativity in the world of microscopic physics, which was presented in 1905, and general relativity in the world of astrophysics and cosmology, which was not published until 1916.
According to his special theory of relativity, the speed of light was the same for all observers, regardless of their motion relative to the source of the light. He also said that observers moving at constant speed should observe the same physical laws. Having these two together, he said that it could only happen if “time intervals and/or lengths change according to the speed of the system relative to the observer's frame of reference.”
An experiment showed that an atomic clock traveling in a jet plane tick slower than if it were stationary. This experiment lead to the thinking that time travel is not impossible. Provided that one can travel at, or close to, the speed of light, one can travel to the future. For example, say, Bill travels to space at a speed of light, while Ted is on earth doing his regular activities. At the time of Bill’s arrival on earth, Ted is going to be much older than Bill.
Einstein then said that the theory of relativity—the E = MC², showing that matter and energy are interrelated and even equivalent—operates in the absence of gravitational field. Thus, he formulated another theory that took gravity into account. This theory is known as the General Theory of Relativity, which provides “the law of gravitation and its relations to the other forces of nature.”
Basically, this theory suggested that gravity and motion can affect the interval of time and space. The idea was based on the Principle of Equivalence, where gravity pulling in one direction is completely equivalent to an acceleration in the opposite direction. Thus, it said that a uniform gravitational field is equivalent to a uniform acceleration.
For example, imagine a person in two situations. In the first situation, the person, standing at rest on earth, is feeling the downward gravitational pull. In the second situation, the person is standing inside an elevator in space, and the elevator is moving upward at the rate of 32 ft/sec squared. In both situations, the person would feel the same downward gravitational pull. This contradicts Newton’s view of “gravity as a force acting at a distance”.
However, I think that Einstein’s greatest contribution to our civilization is not in physics, regardless of how huge of an impact that has on us. Not because he proved Newton’s theory wrong. Not that he received many awards—among them the Bernard Medal, Copley Medal of the Royal Society, Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, and a Nobel Prize in physics—that he was considered a great person.
His greatest contribution goes beyond the advancement of electronics and the possibility of space travel. It is about peace. He warned us that, “as long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable” (Einstein, 1945). And for those jihadists who go to war for the sake of religion, Einstein had warned them that, “science without religion is lame [and] religion without science is blind,” (Einstein, 1941). If everyone would think before he acts, would use logic rather than emotions, and no nation on earth would not compete to be the most powerful entity, peace may be upon us. After all, one week before his death, Einstein left a note for all nations to give up nuclear weapons. His purpose, clearly, was no other than international peace. He should be the father of peace.
