#onthisday in 1915: Albert Einstein submitted a paper to the journal "Sitzungsberichte der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin" that would fundamentally alter our understanding of the universe [1]. The four page paper contained what became known as the Einstein field equations, which relate the geometry of spacetime to the distribution of matter within it [2].
Einstein's field equations were presented in the form of a tensor equation which related the local spacetime curvature (expressed by the Einstein tensor) with the local energy, momentum and stress within that spacetime (expressed by the stress–energy tensor) [3].
"Gödel presented his solution to Einstein in the form of a manuscript on the occasion of the latter’s 70th birthday in 1949. Gödel was meant to have his manuscript ready for Paul Arthur Schlipp to include it in a book entitled Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist* (Schlipp, 1949). Gödel, ever the perfectionist, however did not finish his essay until about a month before Einstein’s birthday and even then delayed sending it off for a while (Dawson, 2006). Notorious for his attention to detail, Gödel’s six-page manuscript eventually included 34 footnotes."
@__joerg__@johncarlosbaez@dmm I sure don't want to idealize him. All the greats were flawed, and so are we - but what do we do about it? Are we willing to pass judgement when it is required, and refrain when it is not? Hard questions.
Add comment