“Newtonian mechanics unified our understanding of stellar and terrestial motions, and Maxwell’s theory unified our understanding of electromagnetic phenomena and light. Einstein’s special theory of relativity unified our concepts of space and time, and his general theory unified our conceptions of spacetime and gravity”(1).
Philosophical Engineering Design Point
What is the point of all that?
It seems we can find something in common when we consider Maxwell, Einstein, and other great scientific thinkers–two concepts are merged into one. For Einstein, it was the unification of space and time by considering the point of view of the observer. For Newton, it was defining the concept of a gravitational force between two objects of “visible” size.
In school, we are taught to spit back formulas and to box in bubble sheets. These marks are then tallied, and the summation becomes a letter grade that is intended to represent our level of understanding of a given field. How fascinating that we aspire to think like these great scientific leaders (in a science major, of course!) and yet are not taught to think like them!
Who told Einstein to combine the mathematics of Riemann geometry and the physics of the gravitational force? (2) Einstein was intelligent enough to see the connection and motivated enough to show it. There seems to be a specific ability to unify two seemingly independent concepts. Shouldn’t this be taught and emphasized in schools? Utilizing our imaginative abilities and our skills of critical evaluation to discover relationships between concepts and ideas is essential to growth in all scientific endeavors.
1. page 119 Mind, Matter and Quantum Mechanics by Henry P. Stapp 2. page 231 The Elegant Universe By Brian Greene