A series of lectures about Einstein at BA
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Alexandria, 9 February 2005—
Why Einstein? is the title of the first of a series of lectures, by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), on 8 February 2005, within the context of the preparation for the Einstein Symposium 2005, organized by the Planetarium Science Center of BA.
Dr. Serageldin started his lecture by stating that the history of modern science is mainly based on two main scientists, who have changed the views of science to the world, Newton and Einstein. Then he gave a brief on the history of science before Newton and Einstein since ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and the emergence of science from the old Bibliotheca Alexandrina till it reached the Arab and Muslim scientists. He also mentioned some anecdotes such as how density of metals was discovered by relating to the Gold Crown story of Archimedes, and referred to Ibn el Haitham’s and Ibn el Nafees’s texts in sciences. All their experiments depended on observation and hypothesis which is the basis for all scientific experiments today.
Dr. Serageldin then mentioned Newton’s discoveries such as motion and gravity laws, and a series of laws that explains everyday changes, as well as his observations in light and its reflections. He also displayed his famous book Principia, that is considered one of the most important books in physics, where he stated more than 190 experiments and laws in a year and 5 months.
Afterwards, Dr. Serageldin presented the scientists who came between Newton and Einstein; they were Faraday, Maxwell, Thomas Young and Michelson. Then he provided further details on Einstein’s personal life and how he was able to reach many discoveries by the age of 26, in 1905, a year that marked his life, the year of physics. In that year he published 5 major papers on special theory of relativity, Brownian motion, the photoelectric effect, and his famous equation E=mc2.
For more information about Einstein Symposium visit: http://www.bibalex.org/Einstein2005/