Accept no substitutes

100 years of Einstein

“2005 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of Einstein’s three great scientific papers on relativity, light and matter.

Have you read them? Did you understand them?

If not, you are not alone. When asked who is or was the most famous scientist of all time, many people mention Albert Einstein. However, few people know what he did that made him so famous or realize what a great impact his ideas continue to have on our 21st-century lives. ”

The Chapel Hill Public Library (disclosure I am on the Board of Trustees) is presenting a series of talks by Dr. Henry Greenside of Duke the first of which was this afternoon. Dr. Greenside explains the Einsteinian concepts found in his 1905 papers so that most anyone can understand what wonderful surprising and important discoveries and suggestions they were and how they continue to influence our thinking and understanding.

Beginning with today’s talk on “Einstein’s Relativity Theories and What is E=mc2 All About?” (he spent most of the talk on the special theory rather than the general theory today) and following with two other talks. Sunday, Oct. 9 (3:00-4:30 pm): Einstein and the Photon Concept and Sunday, Oct. 23 (3:00-4:30 pm): Einstein and Atoms.

Sally, Tucker and I were there and took in the talk to our various capacities. Sally caught the talk and a following experiment with bending an electron stream using magnets with her digital camera. [photo 1] [photo 2] [photo 3] [photo 4] [photo 5]

Tucker is looking forward to next week’s talk about the properties of light and the dual nature of the photon. So am I.

2 Comments

  1. Mike Rizzio

    Dear Sally, Tucker and Paul,

    I may be going out on a limb by asking you to read a paper on Einstein that comes from a Catholic perspective, but here goes nothing.

    My kids and I are anxiously awaiting the PBS Special, Einstein’s Big Idea on October 11th. I don’t think we will hear a word about Einstein’s youth and relationship to the Catholic Church, but I pray that his communication with the “Old One” is portrayed for all to see.

    Last week when I read the Pope Benedict’s Angelus comments from his summer residence I was struck by his remark, “The Eucharist becomes in this way the source of the spiritual energy that renews our life every day and, in this way, renews the love of Christ to the world.”

    As you might recall in his homily to 800,000 motivated young Catholics at the closing Mass of World Youth Day, the Holy Father spoke of the Eucharist with words packed with meaning, “This is like inducing nuclear fission in the very heart of being — the victory of love over hatred, the victory of love over death,” he said. “Only this intimate explosion of good conquering evil can then trigger off the series of transformations that little by little will change the world.”

    And his profound “dictatorship of relativism” from April remains permanently etched in our consciousness.

    For the past ten months I have been attempting to share what I believe is a key to this “Year of the Eucharist” and the Church’s New Evangelization, however I am neither a scholar, nor a very good communicator. My qualifications as a former Army Infantry Officer mean little to the world of theology and religion.

    I am by the grace of God, a late-in-life husband and a father of two young boys (so far.) My family serves full-time as lay missionaries for the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, SOLT, a religious order.

    I deeply know and love the Catholic Faith and believe fully in God’s Providence. I have experienced it firsthand—often in dramatic fashion—these past seven years of my adult life. I was shown the power and love of Jesus’ Divine Mercy at my reversion (4-16-98) when I was exposed to the light that beamed from a silver cross of a Deacon Joe Hromadka (he was ordained a priest at age 79, this past July here in Corpus Christi). From that moment on, my constant prayer has been to serve humbly and faithfully in the Lord’s vineyard.

    Near the end of a year of intense research for a fledgling book project, I drafted the twelve page “paper.” I have tried and seemingly failed to get it into the mainstream to help jump start the “burning bush.” My concept was simple—to get others (more talented than I) curious enough to follow a lead to learn what I did. Writing a book was not an option, for I know my limitations.

    Since last December we Americans have witnessed over a dozen significant events that involve matters that I discussed. I say this not to testify to any prophetic gift, but to tell you that I have received strong confirmation that compels me to continue trying share the truth of what burns in my heart.

    We are now witnessing the final events of a year that has been filled with coincidence—not luck, synchronicity or accident, but Providence—for the Eucharistic Year Synod in Rome coincides with your two-hour PBS/NOVA Special on Albert Einstein.

    Please take ten minutes to read the paper at http://www.soltlaity.org/breadoflife.htm.

    (You’ll notice a lack of documentation but be rest assured, this “broad brush stroke” of a paper is supported by so many different primary sources that to start parsing how credit is distributed would unduly burden the reader)

    If you’d like to review a sample of some of the more than 125 slides that support the the ideas contained in the paper go to http://www.soltlaity.org/slideshow.htm.

    I have been praying that I would find someone with whom I might collaborate, to bring the key research findings into the public eye. Dialogue, with the goal of becoming more LIGHT and TRUTH sensitive, that is the key.

    I can be reached at jmjriz@aol.com, at the office at 361-767-9417 or on my cell at 361-563-2602.

    God bless you for your great efforts at shining His Light.

    Sincerely yours,

    Mike Rizzio, SOLT

    Imitate Mary, Become like Jesus, Live for the Triune God

  2. Galileo Galilei

    I think that you are confusing the church’s role here and I speak from experience.

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