Mr. Walter Honors English 9 Period 4
December 8 2014
The Brain Behind the 20th Century
To be influential is “To have the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.” Albert Einstein ought to be included in the Time’s 100 Most Influential People because of the outstanding formulas of space that he articulated, the inspiration that he produced when he overcame a problematic childhood, and the revolutionizing mathematical theories of relativity that he created during his lifetime. His scientific innovations like the atomic bomb, and the formula E = mc2, revolutionized war and physics and made him one of the most influential people …show more content…
Einstein is famously known for his theories of relativity and his equation of E = mc2, “in which E represents energy, M equals mass, and c represents the speed of light. One of the conclusions of Einstein’s theory of relativity is that matter and energy are in a certain sense equivalent, and the relation between them is given by the formula E = mc2.” (Hart 88). Einstein’s formula revolutionized engineering and quantum physics. He opened the door to concepts that previously perplexed physicists, it is said that: “Fellow physicists were always struck with Einstein’s uncanny ability to penetrate to the heart of a complex problem, to instantly see the physical significance of a complex mathematical result.” (Byers 231). Previously to Einstein’s theory, “most people had always believed that behind these subjective impressions were real distances and an absolute time, which accurate instruments could measure objectively.” (Hart 83). The formula paved the way for perhaps the most potent invention of all time; the Atomic Bomb. Naturally, it’s impossible to build a bomb or nuclear power plant simply from a formula, but Einstein’s work was unquestionably pivotal in the development of atomic energy. But in the end, “it was Einstein’s letter to President Roosevelt, in 1939, pointing out the possibility of developing atomic weapons and stressing the importance of the United States developing such weapons before the Germans.” (Hart 84). The advance in nuclear energy from the United States was crucial in the Second World War. The actual use of the atomic bomb decided the eventual outcome of the war and defined the true military power that United States possessed at the time. Albert Einstein’s influence on the most powerful invention of all time just happened to be the decisive factor in the most significant chapter of our world’s history. Einstein was