Einstein vs Hawking Humanities Final .docx - Physics Past...

Physics: Past & Present
HUMANITIES SUMMER COURSE
BY: KARIMA AUSTIN, LPN

Physics: Past & Present
Albert Einstein VS Stephen Hawking
For years, many have followed the science world with opinions about two of the most
popular theoretical physicists of our time, Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. In this paper, I
hope to bridge the gap of their lives and how their contributions have given new perspective
within the science community.
What made one superior to the other and how did their education compare?
Einstein: Family victim of Adolf Hitler’s reign
Swiss Federal Polytechnic
University of Zurich
Hawking: Diagnosed with ALS at 21 years of age
University of Cambridge
California Institute of Technology
Oxford University
Gonville & Caius College
How has the outcome of their work shaped and/or changes physics forever?
Einstein: Developed the “Theory of Relativity”, Mass Energy Equivalence Equation
“E=mc2, discovery of the “Law of the Photoelectric Effect” in Quantum Physics
Hawking: The first to set out a “Theory of Cosmology” explained by a union of the
Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, Gravitational Singularity Theorems in the
framework General Relativity and the theoretical prediction that “Black Holes” emit
radiation
Conclusion
The two individuals were great minds of their times and have influenced a culture of the
sciences. What were their achievements, their flaws and their challenges? And how did
they prevail and continue on their path to make remarkable discoveries that have shaped
our world.
Physics: Past & Present Page 1 of 7

Albert Einstein's was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany. When Albert became old enough,
he started going to the local school, and he was not popular with his teachers, who did not consider
him a genius. As a teenager, his family moved to Milan because of their failing family business. His
parents left him in Munich to finish school, but he eventually dropped out of school because he
despised it (Klein, 1980). He then moved to Milan with family, and it was there that he decided he
wanted to be a philosophy teacher. Before he could attempt this, his father convinced him to become
an engineer.