Economist.com | 100 years of Einstein
Unfortunately, the article is not exactly great (it requires a bit too much understanding of physics), but the sentiment is exactly right. In just over a year, Einstein changed the way that every one inside and outside physics looks at the world we live in. I like to think of myself as an optimist (well, a pessimist who has optimist leanings) and I can tell you this right now: I will NEVER affect the world in that way in such a short period of time. The most amazing thing about it is that he asked people to question their most fundamental beliefs about the way they knew the universe was constructed. This is akin to someone coming along and telling you the sun is going to rise in the west tomorrow, and then having the data to back it up. Of course, because this is theoretical physics, it’s more like someone telling you the sun is going to rise in the west tomorrow, then showing you why in the data, then the next day there’s a bit of light on the western horizon and you have to infer everything from there, only to have it verified or not verified 50 years later. One thing that I really admire about the field generally is the amazing deductions that they must make in order to prove their theories. High order math is the same way: if A, then B, then C, then D, then E… ok, we’re looking for E. I love that stuff.