Valhalla Legends Forums Archive | Yoni's Math Forum | Albert Einstein: The all time most overrated genius.

AuthorMessageTime
Yoni
Yeah, he rocks. But everyone should cut the worshipping. Euler is way cooler.

Today, "Einstein" is a synonym of "genius". Mention the name of Euler to the average person, though, and you will get blank stares.

Euler > Einstein.
August 15, 2004, 5:31 PM
Soul Taker
Who????

</troll>
August 15, 2004, 9:23 PM
Maddox
Ken Jennings > Euler
Ken Jennings > google
August 15, 2004, 9:32 PM
iago
It pisses me off when people say "euler" wrong. It's pronounced OILER. OILER!!
August 16, 2004, 3:02 AM
Eli_1
You-Ler > OILER
Eye-A-Go > iago

I rule at pronouncing everything wrong. :'(
August 16, 2004, 10:31 AM
The-Rabid-Lord
[quote author=Eli_1 link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=0#msg75707 date=1092652297]
You-Ler > OILER
Eye-A-Go > iago

I rule at pronouncing everything wrong. :'(
[/quote]
I always say Ya-Go --> iago. Im welsh and my name in welsh is iago!
August 16, 2004, 10:57 AM
Yoni
[quote author=iago link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=0#msg75685 date=1092625351]
It pisses me off when people say "euler" wrong. It's pronounced OILER. OILER!!
[/quote]Thank you. You win 5 Yoni Points.
August 16, 2004, 10:00 PM
Balistik
I - Go

:)

Einstein isn't that great .. I mean what exactly did he do anyways?!

*Kidding*

No actually I have no clue what Einstein is famous for

e=mc2 woo hoo
August 16, 2004, 10:27 PM
ChR0NiC
He did stuff with Germany regarding nuclear things.

Wow I don't know **** all about him :'(
August 16, 2004, 10:50 PM
Yoni
In 1905, Einstein published three articles.
One was his explanation for the photoelectric effect.
One was about special relativity.
And one more, that I forgot what it was about.

The special relativity article was the major breakthrough, but he won his Nobel prize for the photoelectric effect explanation (apparently, the Nobel prize awarders recognized the importance of the special relativity, but felt reluctant to give a Nobel prize for something that they didn't understand).

Euler, who lived in the 18th century, is the most productive mathematician who ever lived. He wrote over 800 articles. Much of his work was done after he became blind (first in one eye, later in the other) - his phenomenal memory, with an ability to make calculations of 50 figures after the decimal in his head, helped him continue his work on mathematics.

In every branch of mathematics (except, possibly, Euclidean geometry, which is practically the same now as it was in 300 B.C.), you may encounter Euler's footprint. You will see functions, constants, variables, theorems, notations and the like named after Euler in calculus, number theory, statistics, computer science(*), etc.

"He calculated just as men breathe, as eagles sustain themselves in the air." - François Arago

(*) Computer science is a branch of mathematics (if you wish to disagree, please do so in a new thread, preferably started in the Trash Can). One of the subjects in computer science is Graph Theory. Graph Theory was essentially invented by Euler.
August 16, 2004, 11:00 PM
ChR0NiC
[quote author=Yoni link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=0#msg75801 date=1092697243]
In 1905, Einstein published three articles.
One was his explanation for the photoelectric effect.
One was about special relativity.
And one more, that I forgot what it was about.

The special relativity article was the major breakthrough, but he won his Nobel prize for the photoelectric effect explanation (apparently, the Nobel prize awarders recognized the importance of the special relativity, but felt reluctant to give a Nobel prize for something that they didn't understand).

Euler, who lived in the 18th century, is the most productive mathematician who ever lived. He wrote over 800 articles. Much of his work was done after he became blind (first in one eye, later in the other) - his phenomenal memory, with an ability to make calculations of 50 figures after the decimal in his head, helped him continue his work on mathematics.

In every branch of mathematics (except, possibly, Euclidean geometry, which is practically the same now as it was in 300 B.C.), you may encounter Euler's footprint. You will see functions, constants, variables, theorems, notations and the like named after Euler in calculus, number theory, statistics, computer science(*), etc.

"He calculated just as men breathe, as eagles sustain themselves in the air." - François Arago

(*) Computer science is a branch of mathematics (if you wish to disagree, please do so in a new thread, preferably started in the Trash Can). One of the subjects in computer science is Graph Theory. Graph Theory was essentially invented by Euler.
[/quote]

Thanks for the history lesson Yoni, I feel smarter already :)
August 17, 2004, 5:33 AM
j0k3r
The reason he is overrated is because he is the most publicized. I have never heard of Euler outside of some conversations.
August 17, 2004, 11:15 AM
Yoni
[quote author=j0k3r link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=0#msg75926 date=1092741331]
The reason he is overrated is because he is the most publicized. I have never heard of Euler outside of some conversations.
[/quote]That, or because he lived more recently. I wonder if Euler had similar fame in the 18th-early 19th century.
August 17, 2004, 9:10 PM
Soul Taker
[quote author=Yoni link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=0#msg76024 date=1092777043]
[quote author=j0k3r link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=0#msg75926 date=1092741331]
The reason he is overrated is because he is the most publicized. I have never heard of Euler outside of some conversations.
[/quote]That, or because he lived more recently. I wonder if Euler had similar fame in the 18th-early 19th century.
[/quote]
I hope not. Euler SUCKS!!!! (sucked? Oh well, you get point)
August 18, 2004, 12:32 AM
jigsaw
Euler is great. So is Mr E=MC^2. But who cares, these guys didnt make any money... I'll tell you who kicks ass, the guy that marries paris hilton.... You get a hot wife, who loves to make videos.. lots of cash for whatever she wants..... and then you can spend all day revolutionizing mathematics.. until then concentrate on getting hot rich girls.. it's waaaay more fun too.
August 21, 2004, 5:09 PM
jigsaw
*side note*
some of my best engineering ideas and concepts popped into my head between 5 and 7 minutes before and after having massive orgasms... so put that into perspective.
August 21, 2004, 5:10 PM
Rule
[quote author=Yoni link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=0#msg75801 date=1092697243]
In 1905, Einstein published three articles.
One was his explanation for the photoelectric effect.
One was about special relativity.
And one more, that I forgot what it was about.
[/quote]

Yoni, I may agree that Einstein is too much of a scientific celebrity considering how unknown some other very good scientists are. However, you are underestimating his contributions - Einstein's work has been far more groundbreaking than Euler's.

I agree that Euler was VERY productive and published many papers. The effect of these individual papers, however, does not even come close to equaling the effect of Einstein's publications.

You are forgetting Einstein's most important and famous contribution to physics - the theory of General Relativity.

The field of physics was at a stand-still before Einstein's contributions (only a few strange phenomenon were left to be discovered). Einstein's theories to explain those phenomenon opened up new branches of physics and put the then sacrosanct laws of Classical Physics into question.

A number of people have the intuitive idea (some would argue misconception) that many respectable accomplishments are equal to or greater than a few extraordinary ones. It is the extraordinary (and revolutionary) accomplishments that result in scientific celebrities.

Certainly among educated people, Newton, Socrates and others who came up with similarily profound and creative ideas have equal or greater status than Einstein. You could argue that Niels Bohr and others might be more of a celebrity like Einstein if they had the eccentric appearence that he possessed.

Einstein has been chosen as a "poster-boy" for science, and because of this, is overrated (people respect him without knowing his accomplishments).

It is quite obvious that his accomplishments had a profound effect on science, (more so than Euler's). That doesn't mean Einstein was "smarter," there are many other factors that help account for his celebrity over Euler: the time in which he lived, and that he wasn't a pure mathematician like Euler.

Regardless of his "poster-boy" status, it follows that Einstein is rightfully more of a scientific celebrity than Euler, based on the nature of his work.




August 21, 2004, 7:13 PM
jigsaw
Cuz stone cold said so!
August 21, 2004, 8:52 PM
j0k3r
[quote author=jigsaw link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=15#msg76547 date=1093108237]
*side note*
some of my best engineering ideas and concepts popped into my head between 5 and 7 minutes before and after having massive orgasms... so put that into perspective.
[/quote]
I read about that once, for about 10minutes after sex is when guys can think the most clearly.

On a side note, ew.
August 21, 2004, 9:06 PM
crashtestdummy
Sex makes you say ewww? Or Einstein makes you say ewww? I really hope it's Einstein...
August 21, 2004, 9:59 PM
Soul Taker
[quote author=muert0 link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=15#msg76613 date=1093125562]
Sex makes you say ewww? Or Einstein makes you say ewww? I really hope it's Einstein...
[/quote]
I'm going to bet it's thinking about jigsaw having a "massive orgasm" that made him say ew.
August 22, 2004, 7:48 AM
Newby
Haha. Our Geometry teacher went over Euler a lot.
August 22, 2004, 7:51 AM
K
[quote author=Newby link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=15#msg76753 date=1093161085]
Haha. Our Geometry teacher went over Euler a lot.
[/quote]

My geometry teacher dressed up as the ghost of Euler for halloween.

This guy had more than one screw loose.
August 22, 2004, 3:48 PM
Yoni
[quote author=K link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=15#msg76791 date=1093189726]
[quote author=Newby link=board=36;threadid=8166;start=15#msg76753 date=1093161085]
Haha. Our Geometry teacher went over Euler a lot.
[/quote]

My geometry teacher dressed up as the ghost of Euler for halloween.

This guy had more than one screw loose.
[/quote]Your teachers rock. If my HS level math teacher hadn't been God's personal math teacher (which he happened to be), I would have been jealous.
August 22, 2004, 4:29 PM

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