There are priorities in learning, and there are specialties in skills. Ten words can solve the main problem of the question, but - I think if we just want to compare, then we should compare. Next, adopt the method of describing it in detail first and then summarizing it. Don’t make it too long. Two points will be listed at the end. So let’s see who has made the most contributions to the scientific community. First of all, when we say "scientific community", we do not only refer to "physics" or the larger "natural sciences", because the contributions of these big names have made contributions to many disciplines besides physics, including social sciences. So what we are comparing is a large scientific community with human civilization as the background. That is to say, which one has made the greater contribution in multi-dimensional three-dimensional comparison.
1. Einstein
Born on March 14, 1879 in a family of small owners in the town of Ulm, Germany. He died in Princeton, the United States on April 18, 1955. He has loved music since childhood and is a skilled violinist. He graduated from the Federal Technical University of Zurich in 1900 and obtained Swiss citizenship. Later he found a permanent job at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern. A series of his early historic achievements were made here. He first worked in academia in 1909 as associate professor of theoretical physics at the University of Zurich. In 1914, at the invitation of M. Planck and W. Nernst, he returned to Germany as director of the Wilhelm Royal Institute of Physics and professor of the University of Berlin. When Hitler came to power in 1933, Einstein was persecuted for the first time because he was a Jew and he resolutely defended democracy. He was forced to immigrate to Princeton in the United States. He became a U.S. citizen in 1940. Retired in 1945. Einstein made historic achievements in three different fields of physics, including quantum theory, molecular kinetic theory, and relativity theory. In particular, the establishment of the special theory of relativity and the proposal of the quantum theory of light promoted the revolution in physical theory. He was very important to social progress. Careers also make important contributions. Further Developments in Quantum Theory One of Einstein's seminal contributions was the development of quantum theory. Quantum theory is a hypothesis proposed by Planck in 1900 to solve the black body radiation spectrum. He believed that the energy emitted when an object emits radiation is not continuous, but quantized. However, most people, including Planck himself, did not dare to push the concept of energy discontinuity one step further, and even repeatedly tried to incorporate this concept into the system of classical physics. Einstein had a premonition that quantum theory would bring not just minor corrections, but fundamental changes to the entire physics. In 1905, in his article "Discussion on the Generation and Transformation of Light", he expanded Planck's quantum concept to the propagation of light in space, proposed the light quantum hypothesis, and believed that: for the time average (that is, the statistical average phenomenon) , light behaves as waves; and for instantaneous values ??(i.e., fluctuation phenomena), light behaves as particles (see quantum optics). This is the first time in history that the unity of wave and particle properties of microscopic particles, that is, wave-particle duality, has been revealed. Subsequent developments in physics have shown that wave-particle duality is the most basic feature of the entire microscopic world. Based on the concept of light quanta, he successfully explained the empirical laws of the photoelectric effect that could not be explained by classical physics, for which he won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1916, he extended the quantum concept to the vibration inside the object, basically explaining the relationship between the specific heat capacity of solids at low temperatures and temperature. In 1916, he continued to develop quantum theory and derived the blackbody radiation spectrum from N. Bohr's concept of quantum transition. In this research, he combined the concepts of statistical physics with quantum theory and proposed the concepts of spontaneous emission and stimulated emission. From the foundation of quantum theory to the concept of stimulated emission, it has a great impact on astrophysics. Among them, the concept of stimulated emission provided the theoretical basis for the laser technology that flourished in the 1960s. Molecular Kinetic Theory In his article "Study of the Movement of Suspended Particles in Stationary Liquids Based on the Molecular Kinetic Theory", Einstein used atomic theory to explain Brownian motion. This kind of motion is the irregular motion of some very small particles suspended in a liquid. It was first discovered by R. Brown. Three years later, French physicist J.B. Perrin confirmed Einstein's theoretical predictions with precise experiments, thus solving the question of whether atoms exist that had been debated in scientific and philosophical circles for more than half a century, and making the atomic hypothesis a reality. A scientific theory with a solid foundation.
The symbol of Einstein’s lifelong career is his theory of relativity. In his paper entitled "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" published in 1905, he completely proposed the special theory of relativity, which to a large extent solved the crisis of classical physics that emerged at the end of the 19th century and promoted the entire theory of physics. revolution.
Einstein believed that the way out lay in a fundamental change in the entire theoretical basis. Based on the two universal generalizations of the relativity of the inertial reference system and the invariance of the speed of light, he transformed the basic concepts of time, space and motion in classical physics, denying the existence of absolutely static space and the concept of simultaneity. of absoluteness. In this system, the moving ruler shortens and the moving clock slows down. One of the most outstanding achievements of special relativity is the revelation of the connection between energy and mass. The equivalence of mass (m) and energy (E): E = mc2, is a corollary of the theory of relativity. This can explain why radioactive elements (such as radium) can release large amounts of energy. Mass-energy equivalence is the theoretical basis of atomic physics and particle physics, and satisfactorily explains the long-standing difficult problems of stellar energy. Special relativity has become a basic theoretical tool for explaining high-energy astrophysical phenomena.
After the establishment of the special theory of relativity, Einstein tried to expand the scope of application of the principle of relativity to non-inertial systems. Based on the experimental fact discovered by Galileo that all objects in the gravitational field have the same acceleration (that is, the inertial mass is equal to the gravitational mass), he proposed the equivalence principle in 1907: "The equivalent acceleration of the gravitational field and the reference frame is physically completely Equivalent." And it follows from this: in the gravitational field, the clock will run faster, the wavelength of the light wave will change, and the light will bend. After years of hard work, a gravity theory that was essentially completely different from Newton's gravity theory—general relativity—was finally established in 1915. According to the general theory of relativity, Einstein deduced the abnormal precession of Mercury's perihelion, which was completely consistent with the observation results, solving a major problem in astronomy for more than 60 years. At the same time, he deduced that the light emitted by distant stars would be bent when passing near the sun (see gravitational deflection of light). This prediction was confirmed in 1919 by S. Edin through the observation of a solar eclipse. In 1916, he predicted the existence of gravitational waves. Later generations announced in 1979 that they had indirectly confirmed the existence of gravitational waves, which was another powerful proof of the general theory of relativity. After the establishment of the general theory of relativity, Einstein tried to extend the general theory of relativity to include not only the gravitational field, but also the electromagnetic field. That is to say, he wanted to seek a unified field theory and use the concept of field to explain the structure of matter and quantum phenomena. Since this was a difficult problem that he had no conditions to solve at the time, he worked on it for 25 years and it was still unfinished before his death. In the 1970s and 1980s, a series of experiments strongly supported the electroweak unified theory, and the idea of ??unified field theory became active again in a new form. During World War I, he participated in public and underground anti-war activities. After the Nazis seized power in Germany in 1933, Einstein was the primary target of persecution in the scientific community. Fortunately, he was lecturing in the United States at the time and was not persecuted. In 1939, he learned about the discovery of uranium nuclear fission and its chain reaction, developed an atomic bomb, and successfully exploded it.
2. Newton
On January 4, 1643 (December 25, 1642 in the Julian calendar) Newton was born in Ullsthorpe, a small town in Lincolnshire, England. Homeowner family. Newton's father died before he was born. Newton was born weak. After three years, his mother remarried a priest and left the child to be raised by his grandmother. Eight years later, the priest died of illness, and Newton's mother returned to Woolsthorpe with her son and two daughters. Newton was taciturn and stubborn since he was a child. This habit may come from his family situation.
When Newton was a boy, he liked to play with mechanical tricks. Legend has it that he made a model of a mill powered by a small mouse; once when he was flying a kite, he hung a small light on the rope. At night, the villagers looked at it and suspected that it was a comet. He likes painting, sculpture, and especially carving sundials. Sundials he carved are placed everywhere in the corners and windowsills of his home to observe the movement of the sun's shadow and tell the time. At the age of 12, he entered Grantham Middle School, not far from home. Newton's mother originally hoped that he would become a farmer and support the family, but Newton himself had no intention of doing so and loved reading so much that he often forgot to work. As he grew older, Newton became more and more fond of reading, meditating, and doing small scientific experiments. When he was studying at Grantham High School, he stayed at the home of a pharmacist, where he was influenced by chemical experiments.
Newton's academic performance was not outstanding in middle school. He just loved reading and was curious about natural phenomena, such as color, the movement of sunlight and shadow in the four seasons, especially geometry, Copernicus' heliocentric theory, etc. He also keeps notes on his reading experience by category, and likes to make ingenious gadgets, tricks, inventions, and experiments.
At that time, British society was infiltrated by Protestant ideas. Newton's family had two relatives who were both priests, which may have affected Newton's religious life in his later years. From these ordinary environments and activities, it is impossible to tell that the young Newton was a child with outstanding talents and extraordinary talents.
However, J. Stokes, the principal of Grantham Middle School, and W. Aisku, Newton's uncle who was a priest, had great insight and encouraged Newton to go to college. Newton entered Trinity College, Cambridge, as a reduced-fee student in 1661, became a scholarship recipient in 1664, and received his bachelor's degree in 1665.
In the mid-17th century, the education system of Cambridge University was still steeped in the strong flavor of medieval scholasticism. When Newton entered Cambridge University, some scholastic courses were still taught there, such as logic, ancient literature, grammar, ancient history, theology, etc. Two years later a new scene emerged at Trinity College. H. Lucas created a unique lecture course that provided for the teaching of natural science knowledge such as geography, physics, astronomy and mathematics. The first professor of the lecture, I. Barrow, was a learned scientist. It was this teacher who introduced Newton to the natural sciences. During this learning process, Newton mastered arithmetic, trigonometry, and studied Euclid's "Principles of Geometry." He also read Kepler's "Optics", Descartes's "Geometry" and "Principles of Philosophy", Galileo's "Dialogue of the Two World Systems", R. Hooke's "Microscope Atlas", and also There is the history of the Royal Society and the early "Philosophical Transactions" etc.
Newton studied under Barrow, which was a critical period for his learning. Barrow was 12 years older than Newton and was proficient in mathematics and optics. He greatly admired Newton's talent. He believed that Newton's mathematical talent surpassed his own.
The Great Plague in London from 1665 to 1666. Cambridge is not far from London. For fear of spreading the disease, the school was closed. Newton returned to his hometown of Ursthorpe in June 1665.
Because Newton was influenced and trained in mathematics and natural sciences at Cambridge, he developed a strong interest in exploring natural phenomena. In just two years from 1665 to 1666, he was full of ideas and talents in the field of natural science. He thought about problems that had never been considered by his predecessors, entered areas that had not been touched by his predecessors, and created unprecedented and astonishing achievements. In early 1665 he created the series approximation method and the rules for converting binomials of any power into a series. In November of the same year, he founded the forward flow method (differential calculus); in January of the following year, he studied color theory; in May, he began to study the reverse flow method (integral calculus). Within this year, Newton also began to think of studying the problem of gravity, and wanted to extend the theory of gravity to the orbit of the moon. He also deduced from Kepler's laws that the forces keeping the planets in their orbits must be inversely proportional to the square of their distance from the center of rotation. The legend that Newton realized the gravity of the earth when he saw an apple falling to the ground also tells an anecdote that happened at this time. In short, during the two years he lived in his hometown, Newton engaged in scientific creation and cared about natural philosophy issues with more energy than at any time since. It can be seen that the major scientific ideas in Newton's life were conceived, germinated and formed in just two years of his youth and sharp thinking.
In 1667, Newton returned to Cambridge University. On October 1, he was elected as the secondary companion of Trinity College, and on March 16 of the following year, he was elected as the principal companion. At that time, Barrow was fully aware of Newton's talents. On October 27, 1669, Barrow asked Newton, who was only 26 years old, to succeed him as the Lucasian Professor. Newton wrote his lectures on optics (1670-1672), lectures on arithmetic and algebra (1673-1683), the first part of "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" (hereinafter referred to as "Principles") (1684-1685), and "The System of the Universe" (1687) and other manuscripts were sent to the Cambridge University Library for collection. He was admitted as a member of the Royal Society in 1672 and was elected president of the Royal Society in 1703 until his death. Among them, Newton had the most correspondence with domestic and foreign scientists including R. Boyle, J. Collins, J. Flamsteed, D. Gregory, E. Halley, Hooke, C. Huygens, and G.W.F.von Leibniz and J. Wallis et al. After Newton wrote "Principia", he was tired of the life of a university professor. With the help of C. Montague, a descendant of a nobleman whom he met when he was a university student, he obtained the position of supervisor of the mint in 1696 and was promoted to director of the mint in 1699. Resigned from Cambridge University in 1701. At that time, the British currency system was in chaos, and Newton used his knowledge of metallurgy to create new coins. He was knighted in 1705 for his contribution to reforming the currency system.
In his later years, he studied religion and wrote "Historical Research on Two Major Errors in the Bible" and other articles.
3. So who is more powerful? Let’s compare the list to see at a glance.