Changes

Einstein compared the effects of large objects on space and time to the way that a large ball placed on a sheet of rubber stretches the material and causes it to sag, and drew the analogy with the way stars and planets warp space-time. A smaller ball rolling along the sagging fabric will be drawn towards the larger ball, in the same way that the Earth is drawn towards the sun, but will not fall into it as long as it continues to move at sufficient speed. This was a change in thinking from the Newtonian cosmos, in which gravity was viewed purely as an attractive force between bodies.

Einstein compared the effects of large objects on space and time to the way that a large ball placed on a sheet of rubber stretches the material and causes it to sag, and drew the analogy with the way stars and planets warp space-time. A smaller ball rolling along the sagging fabric will be drawn towards the larger ball, in the same way that the Earth is drawn towards the sun, but will not fall into it as long as it continues to move at sufficient speed. This was a change in thinking from the Newtonian cosmos, in which gravity was viewed purely as an attractive force between bodies.

Einstein's statistical explanation of Brownian motion (the random movement of microscopic particles mixed in with pollen) helped confirm the atomic theory at a time when some scientists argued against it.<ref>[http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/essay-brownian.htm Einstein on Brownian Motion]</ref>

Einstein's statistical explanation of Brownian motion (the random movement of microscopic particles mixed in with pollen) helped confirm the atomic theory at a time when some scientists argued against it.<ref>[http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/essay-brownian.htm Einstein on Brownian Motion]</ref> Most scientists had accepted atomic theory a century earlier.

Einstein also explained the photoelectric effect in a way that proved that light has particle like  

Einstein also published a heuristic explanation of the photoelectric effect in which light has particle like  

properties as well as wave like properties. According to Maxwell's equations, increasing the  

properties as well as wave like properties. According to Maxwell's equations, light is a wave so one might expect that increasing the intensity of light should increase the number of electrons emitted from metal. The German physicist Lénard did an experiment proving that this was not true. Einstein argued that the experiment was consistent wth Max Planck's hypothesis that light is quantized and different particles of light or photons have different frequencies. Therefore, increasing the intensity of low frequency photons has no effect, while using a higher (blue or ultra violet) frequency of light does cause more electrons to be emitted. The formula Einstein used to explain this was Planck's formula e = hf, where h is Planck's constant and f is the frequency.[http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae24.cfm?CFID=8792067&CFTOKEN=36662276]  

intensity of light should increase the number of electrons emitted from metal. The German physicist  

Lénard did an experiment proving that this was not true. Einstein explained that different particles of light or photons have different frequencies. Therefore, increasing the intensity of low frequency photons has no effect, while using a higher (blue or ultra violet) frequency of light does cause more electrons to be emitted. The formula Einstein used to explain this was e = hf, where h is Planck's constant and f is the frequency.[http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae24.cfm?CFID=8792067&CFTOKEN=36662276]  

Although Einstein won a Nobel Prize for explaining the photoelectric effect, Lénard was bitter and wrote antisemitic books claiming that German physics was superior to the Jewish physics of Einstein.<ref>Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich in Power, pages 306-309</ref>

Although Einstein won a Nobel Prize for explaining the photoelectric effect, Lénard was bitter and wrote antisemitic books claiming that German physics was superior to the Jewish physics of Einstein.<ref>Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich in Power, pages 306-309</ref> Planck also received a Nobel Prize for the photoelectric effect, but Lénard did not.

Einstein also recognized the value in work done by the physicist Bose when others did not, and helped Bose develop what is now referred to as Bose-Einstein statistics. A simplified explanation is that the statistics for bosons (including light) are different from the statistics for fermions which make up solid matter in that there is no way to tag or differentiate one boson from another for statistical comparisons.

Einstein also recognized the value in work done by the physicist Bose when others did not, and helped Bose develop what is now referred to as Bose-Einstein statistics. A simplified explanation is that the statistics for bosons (including light) are different from the statistics for fermions which make up solid matter in that there is no way to tag or differentiate one boson from another for statistical comparisons.