Birthday: March 14, 1879
Biography: A theoretical physicist renowned for developing the theory of relativity, which revolutionized the understanding of space, time, and gravity.
Accomplishments:
Theory of Relativity (1905, 1915): Introduced Special Relativity (1905) and General Relativity (1915), transforming physics.
E=mc² (1905): Proposed the mass-energy equivalence formula, fundamental in physics.
Photoelectric Effect (1905): Explained the photoelectric effect, leading to the development of quantum theory.
Nobel Prize in Physics (1921): Awarded for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
Cosmological Constant (1917): Introduced to explain a static universe, later revisited in the context of dark energy.
This equation, derived from Special Relativity, implies that energy (E) and mass (m) are interchangeable; they are different forms of the same thing. This principle underlies nuclear energy and has profound implications for our understanding of the universe.
Einstein's explanation of the photoelectric effect showed that light can be thought of as quanta of energy (photons). This work provided crucial support for the quantum theory of light and earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
Einstein received the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, which was pivotal in establishing quantum theory.
Einstein introduced the cosmological constant, Λ, in his equations of General Relativity to allow for a static universe. Although he later called it his "biggest blunder" after the discovery of the expanding universe, the concept has found new relevance in explaining the accelerated expansion of the universe due to dark energy.