ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY #2 of 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL SCIENTISTS #2 ALBERT EINSTEIN Life Dates: 1879-1955 A.D. 20th CENTURY SCIENCE OF RELATIVITY AND LAW OF THE PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT OF LIGHT Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who was one of the major causes of the 20th century scientific revolution. He developed the General Theory of Relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics alongside Quantum Mechanics. His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. Einstein is best known in popular culture for his "mass-energy equivalence formula" known as E = mc2, which has been called the world's most famous equation. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his "services to theoretical physics", in particular his discovery of the Law of the Photoelectric Effect, a pivotal step in the evolution of quantum theory. SOURCES = The Scientific 100 by John Simmons (8-14); Britannica Encyclopedia; and Wikipedia. instantly go to: NUMERICAL LIST OF 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL SCIENTISTS IN HISTORY or return to: ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY INDEX