Nova Program About Einstein
Features Famous Amateur Scientist
One hundred years ago a Swiss patent
clerk proposed the revolutionary idea that mass and
energy are interchangeable to a degree determined by
the square of the speed of light. Albert Einstein eventually
became a household name, and E = mc2 became
history's most important and familiar mathematical equation.
The Public Broadcasting System's (PBS)
NOVA series recognized the centennial of E = mc2
in the documentary "Einstein's
Big Idea" telecast on 11 October 2005.
The NOVA documentary showed how the
discoveries of one of history's leading amateur scientists
played a prominent role leading to Einstein's insight.
Michael Faraday was the brilliant English amateur scientist
who made fundamental discoveries about electricity and
optics. Faraday had only a grade school education, yet
he became one of the greatest experimental scientists
in history.
Faraday also became a great popularizer
of science. He demonstrated this annually in his famous
Christmas lecture in London, a tradition he began in
1827 and which is still carried out today.
You can learn more about Michael Faraday
by visiting the Faraday
page of NOVA's "Einstein's
Big Idea" web site.
After learning more about Faraday,
you can stop by "The
Power of Tiny Things" to see the energy equivalents
of everyday items as small as a paperclip. Prepare to
be surprised!
Forrest M. Mims III 
|
