🚀 go-pugleaf

"Australopithecus Afarensis" <fossil.lucy@cox.net> wrote in message
news:gF6Fc.28646$6r1.25199@fed1read06...
> I am surprised you would rate Newton over Einstein, but I do agree with
you
> that Newton is the greatest physicist of all time.  The next one is
Maxwell.
> Einstein would not even rank the top 100 in my list.

Even though I do not agree with it the physicists who rated Einstein the
greatest were not stupid - they were quite possibly correct.

>
> One genius who did not have anybody's work to build on besides data points
> but came up with something very respectable is Kepler.  Another one who
has
> his works covering hundred of volumes is Euler.  Euler won out by
quantity.
>
> Einstein would be a great physicist if his General Relativity is not based
> on the following two assumptions.
>
> **  Speed of light being the same every where
> **  No inertial frame of reference

The validity of a theory does not depend on what you think of it
assumptions, it depends purely on how well it is accord with experiment.  GR
wins that battle hands down.  By general agreement the creation of GR by
Einstein is considered one of if not the greatest achievements of human
thought ever done.  The fact people like yourself who have obviously not
thought about the issues, or are incapable of understanding it, continue to
doubt it and yet it comes up trumps on the only area that really counts -
experiment - is testament to Einstein's greatness.  Logical consistency and
experimental agreement are all that counts.  if two theories are equally
valid on those counts other issues are reconsidered - and on that count GR
also comes up trumps compared to the alternatives.


> He has no excuse to make those assumptions, the Michelson-Morley
Experiment
> hinted against his assumptions:

He has every right to make any assumption he wishes - the validity of a
theory does not depend on your assessment of its assumptions it, depends
purely on experiment and consitency.  I think his assumptions are simply
marvelous, and what Einstein managed to do with them is almost magical - but
that is not what makes it such a great achievement - agreement experiment
makes it that.

Bill

>
> **  Relative speed of light being lowered through time dilation
> **  More inertial frame of reference through causality of photons
> (simultaneity of events)
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bill Hobba" <bhobba@rubbish.net.au>
> Newsgroups: sci.physics.relativity,it.scienza
> Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 06:11 PM
> Subject: Re: Einstein, Dirac and so on....
>
> "Robert J. Kolker" <robert_kolker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:l90Fc.10912$IQ4.4716@attbi_s02...
> >
> > davidoff404 wrote:
> >
> > > Besides, everyone knows that Hamilton was the "best"
> > > physicist/mathematician...
> >
> > Nope. It was Newton. He had to invent ALL his tools.
>
> Yep.  A recent survey of physicists rated Einstein ahead of Newton.  I do
no
> agree with that - he stands head an shoulders above them all including
> Einstein.  I believe he is also the greatest mathematical of all time -
but
> the issue is less clear cut - Gauss has a good claim as well.  The order
of
> my top 6 is - Newton, Einstein, Maxwell, Feynman, Landau and Dirac.  But
> that is only my opinion.
>
> Thanks
> Bill
>
>
>