Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

"Einstein often has said to me, 'I am more a
philosopher than a physicist.'" —Leopold Infeld

Einstein is by far the most famous scientist of the 20th century, and quite probably the best. In my opinion it is no coincidence that from a philosophical standpoint he was also more inclined towards materialism than just about all the well-known physicists of his day, most of whom were wallowing in philosophical idealism up to their eyeballs. But it is his philosophical views of space and time arising from his special and general theories of relativity that have most intrigued philosophers and the public alike.

There was a young lady called Bright
Who could travel far faster than light
    She set off one day,
    In a relative way,
And returned home the previous night.

To her friends, said the Bright one, in chatter:
"I have learned something new about matter.
    My speed was so great
    That it increased my weight,
Yet I failed to become any fatter."
    —A. H. R. Buller