Both were brilliant. Like trying to decide between strawberry or chocolate ice cream. In general, though, the general population can comprehend Newton while Eistein's work is romaticisized but not understood.
--- L B Shriver <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Britain > > > The Times November 24, 2005 > > Newton trounces Einstein in vote on their relative > merits > By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent > > HIS most famous equation, E=mc², is 100 years old, > and 2005 has been named Einstein > Year in his honour, but Albert Einstein has been > trounced in a scientific beauty contest > held to celebrate his own greatest achievements. > The most famous head of hair in science was soundly > beaten by Sir Isaac Newton > yesterday in a poll on the relative merits of their > breakthroughs, with both scientists and > the public favouring the Englishman by a > surprisingly wide margin. > > Asked by the Royal Society to decide which of the > two made the more important > contributions to science, 61.8 per cent of the > public favoured the claims of the 17th- > century scientist who developed calculus and the > theory of gravity. Among 345 Royal > Society scientists who voted, the margin of support > for Newton was greater still, with 86.2 > per cent deciding that his work was more important > than Einstein's. The vote was closer > over who made a bigger positive contribution to > humankind in general. Newton was again > twice the winner, but with only 50.1 per cent of the > public vote and 60.9 per cent of the > specialists'. > > The results of the online poll were revealed last > night at a Royal Society debate on the two > physicists' claims to being the greatest of all. Sir > Isaac was a elected a fellow of the society > in 1672, while Einstein was voted a Foreign Member > in 1921. > > The poll was held as part of the celebrations of > Einstein Year, which marks the German- > born scientist's annus mirabilis of 1905, when he > published three papers that laid the > foundation of modern physics. > > Along with the special theory of relativity and its > signature E=mc² equation, Einstein > proved the existence of atoms and explained how > light could have the properties of both > waves and streams of particles. > > Jim Al-Khalili, a professor at the University of > Surrey, who proposed Einstein at the debate > last night, said: "Within just a few months during > 1905, Einstein published several papers > that were to change the face of physics. He proved > mathematically that atoms exist. He > proved that light is lumpy. It is made up of tiny > particles we now call photons and not > continuous waves. He then published two papers on > his theory of relativity, giving us a > new view of reality itself." > > Einstein should also be favoured, he said, for > finding the gaps in Sir Isaac's theories. "He > explained that Newton was wrong about the meaning of > space and time," Professor Al- > Khalili said. > > Sir John Enderby, Emeritus Professor of Physics at > Bristol University and Vice-President of > the Royal Society, argued Sir Isaac's corner. He > said that Principia, Sir Isaac's great work, > was a foundation stone of the modern scientific > method. > > Sir John said: "This book set out the mathematical > principles of `natural philosophy' and > showed how a universal force, gravity, applied to > all objects in all parts of the Universe. > > "This amazing insight once and for all ruled out the > belief that somehow laws related to > Earth-bound objects were in some sense inferior to > those which governed the heavens." > > Lord May of Oxford, the president of the Royal > Society, said: "Many would say that > comparing Newton and Einstein is like comparing > apples and oranges, but what really > matters is that people are appreciating the huge > amount that both these physicists > achieved, and that their impact on the world > stretched far beyond the laboratory and the > equation." > > THE RESULTS > > Royal Society scientists > > Newton 86.2% > Einstein 13.8% > > Members of the public > > Newton 61.8% > Einstein 38.2% > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > --------------------~--> > Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make > Yahoo! your home page > http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM > --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Or go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > and click 'Join This Group!' > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
