Category Great Personalities

Albert Einstein is considered to be one of the most influential persons of the 20th century. His thoughts on space, time, motion and energy revealed new trajectories to the world.

Astronomers use his work till day to study everything from gravitational waves to Mercury’s orbit. His contribution also extends to the philosophy of science.

Einstein’s formula on mass – energy equivalence, E=mc2(square) has been called the world’s most famous equation. Even those unfamiliar with the underlying physics know about this equation.

In 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the law of the photoelectric effect. His theory of general relativity gives an explanation of gravity while the law of photoelectric effect explains the behaviour of electrons in certain conditions.

Einstein’s theories and discoveries marked a turning point in the development of quantum theory and influenced the development of atomic energy.

The ‘theory of everything’ was a single theory under which Einstein tried to unify all the forces of the universe. He worked on this unified field theory, though unsuccessfully, till the time of his death.

Einstein’s insight and inquisitiveness made him the most influential physicist of the 20th century.

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Newton’s contributions to science are truly staggering. In a foreword to a twentieth century edition of Newtons Opticks, Albert Einstein wrote:

“Nature was to him an open book, whose letters he could read without effort… In one person, he combined the experimenter, the theorist, the mechanic and, not least, the artist in exposition. He stands before us strong, certain and alone; his joy in creation and his minute precision are evident in every word and every figure.”

Newton summarized his achievements in these words: “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me…”

Sir Isaac Newton led an active life until his old age when age-related afflictions became a barrier. As he experienced inconsistencies due to weakness in the bladder, he was forced to limit his movements and follow dietary restrictions.

He became ill with gout in 1725 and suffered haemorrhoids the next year. In the months prior to his death, Newton was ill and bedridden. He lost consciousness on 19 March 1727 due to pain from his bladder stone and never regained consciousness. Newton passed away on 31 March 1727 at the age of 84. He was buried in London’s Westminster Abbey on April 4, to rest among the kings and queens, dukes and earls of England.

Isaac Newton’s pallbearers included two dukes, three earls and the Lord Chancellor. Voltaire described Newton’s funeral as the funeral of a king who had done well by his subjects.

In the last years of his life, Newton’s circle of friends included Prince George (later George II) and his wife Caroline, whom he visited regularly. He was successful, famous and wealthy by the time he died. Newton is said to have helped his extended family generously and was a charitable person. As he had never married, his estate went to the descendants of his stepfather, Barnabas Smith.

His papers were given to his half-niece Catherine Barton and her husband John Conduitt.

Alchemy is a proto-science which studies, among other things, the possible methods to transform base metals such as lead and copper into silver or gold. Alchemy also involves the search for the cure for diseases and a way to extend life.

Alchemy is shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Newton has been considered as a credulous alchemist by many. He had even described a recipe for the Philosopher’s Stone in one of his manuscripts. Philosopher’s Stone is said to have the ability to turn base metals into silver and gold and had magical properties and could even help humans achieve immortality.

Newton’s belief that he had discovered a blueprint for the Philosopher’s Stone was rather surprising, considering his status as a serious and empirical scientist.

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Despite his success as a scientist, Newton was at first largely inactive in the political arena. Later, he became the Member of Parliament, representing Cambridge University from 1689 to 1690. This had been the period when the Parliament enacted the Bill of Rights, which limited the power of the monarchy and laid out the rights of Parliament and individuals. However, Newton was anything but an active parliamentarian. He reportedly spoke just once and that had been to ask an usher to close a window on a chilly day!

Despite his lacklustre contributions as a parliamentarian, he became acquainted with many influential individuals including King William III and philosopher John Locke, during his time in London. Newton served a second term in the parliament from 1701 to 1702 but this time too his participation in the proceedings of Parliament was minimal.

In 1705, he was knighted by Queen Anne for his contributions to science and public service. The event was held at a lavish ceremony at Trinity College. Newton became the first scientist to be given this honour.

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Among all the duties Newton had at the Royal Mint, the most impossible one was testing the purity and accuracy of coins. The coins had to be of the correct weight and fineness, with only the least difference from each other.

The task of determining whether each coin was identical to the other, turned out to be a tedious one. However, Newton’s scientific training came in useful to tackle this job.

Newton visited the pressing plant next to his office at the Royal Mint every day. Workmen would take out a small sample of the molten metal using ladles designed for this purpose. The sample would be taken back to the warden’s laboratory where he conducted chemical experiments on the metal to verify if it met the required standards of purity.

Newton claimed that he had brought the coinage to a much greater degree of exactness than ever before. Naturally, he reacted angrily when a judgment by the jury in the Trial of the Pyx in 1710 declared that the gold coins were substandard. (The Trial of the Pyx is a procedure in which the integrity of the coinage of England was tested.)

Isaac Newton was appointed as the warden of the Royal Mint in 1696. He received the position on the recommendation of Charles Montague, a well-known politician of the time. The prestigious post was intended as a reward for Newton’s scientific achievements.

Newton took up the position at a crucial time as England was in the process of changing its silver coinage prevalent from the time of Elizabeth I. As these coins had a smooth edge, people could easily clip small amounts of silver from them and still use the same coin. Making counterfeit coins was also a common occurrence. Newton took a firm stance on counterfeiting. He cracked down on the group of thieves known as clippers who clipped off small pieces of coins, melted down the metal and extracted the silver.

Under Newton’s wardenship, auxiliary mints were set up on different parts of the country. He supervised the processing of new coins and its distribution to various banks across the country. Newton was so successful that in 1699, within 3 years of his appointment, he was made the Master of the Royal Mint.

Isaac Newton became the president of the Royal Society in 1703. The 60-year-old Newton undertook responsibilities with his characteristic determination and energy. In the preceding years the Society had a series of politicians as its presidents. They were not concerned about the Society’s aims and the weekly meetings were no longer based on the scientific interests which laid the foundation of the Society.

Once Newton took charge, he devoted his time to bring the Society back to its old grandeur. He developed a scheme and methodology for conducting its meetings. According to the scheme, weekly meetings would have to be held, where serious discussions would take place. Moreover, he also made a provision for people with good scientific reputations to give demonstrations at the meetings. This succeeded in increasing the attendance and improving the quality of the deliberations.

The Royal Society became stronger during and following the 24 years of Newton’s presidentship. He played a significant role in making the Society into the world-famous organization it is today. However, Newton is also said to have exploited his position as the president to make public his disagreements with scientists such as John Flamsteed, the astronomer.

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