Review of "Einstein’s Big Idea: Understand the Equation That Changed the World," a NOVA video

 Review of

Einstein’s Big Idea: Understand the Equation That Changed the World, a NOVA video

Five out of five stars

Deep background of scientific principles of Einstein’s work

 Isaac Newton famously said that he was able to see further because he stood on the backs of giants. The point of that statement was to emphasize that his work was based on what previous scientists had done. This video of the work of Albert Einstein follows that principle. The proper background is set for the papers that Einstein published in 1905, also known as the annus mirabilis, or the year of miracles. In that year, an unknown Swiss patent clerk named Albert Einstein published four papers that revolutionized physics. The most famous of course was the one that set forward the most well-known of all equations, e equals m, c squared.

 What is superb about this video is that a great deal of the background that led to Einstein’s work is presented. The work of Michael Faraday, Antoine Lavoisier, James Clerk Maxwell, and Émilie du Châtelet in preparing the background work that Einstein used is made very clear. Once the work of Einstein is covered, the last person whose work is featured is Lise Meitner. Her work was done after Einstein made his discoveries and she was the first to conclude that nuclear fission was taking the explanation for an unexpected phenomena and the tremendous energy that was released when it takes place.

 The political, both in governance and institutional, situations are mentioned. Meitner faced strong sexism early in her career and when the Nazis came to power in Germany, she was removed from her university position and was smuggled out of the country. Lavoisier died via the guillotine in revolutionary France.

 Each of the characters are portrayed by actors that strongly resemble the historical figures. The acting itself is very good for a public television historical drama.

 It is no exaggeration that Einstein’s famous equation changed the world. For not only did it make it possible for a greater understanding of the physical world, it also made nuclear power and nuclear weapons modern realities.

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