There was not necessarily an inventor of physics, and nobody invented physics either. It was always around us, and as long as people wondered about the world around them, discoveries were going to be made. That’s what scientists do; they make discoveries. It is easy to imagine someone thousands of years ago realising that rubbing two sticks together very fast created energy, which in turn created heat, which resulted in a fire. That person was being a physicist whether they knew it or not, and the creation of fire was the result of an experiment in physics. Therefore, it can be seen that anyone who ever wondered about why things happen, or if something will happen from doing something, is a scientist and is likely to make a discovery. However, throughout the pages of history, certain names always are remembered more than the theoretical fire-maker we just discussed. Over time, people made it their business to try and explain the world around us and made some of the biggest and most important discoveries in science, some on purpose and some by accident. As science expanded, many have wondered, who is the father of physics?
History of Physics
Physics incorporated elements of astronomy and mathematics, and was practised by some of the oldest races on earth, being that Egyptians, Babylonians, and Chinese. Physics always existed in an attempt to explain the world around us and uncover the laws that seemed to rule our planet, and the universe. One of the main names that history remembers is Aristotle, who is occasionally regarded as the father of science. While he made huge contributions to science, he was also unchallenged, and his views were flawed, ultimately hindering the progress of physics for many years. Interestingly, some of his mistakes slowed the progression of physics quite a bit. Some of his incorrect theories were that women had fewer teeth than men, that some people deserve to be slaves and the reproduction of eels and bees. These strange ideas were eventually disproved, ironically, using the same methods of logic and empirical evidence that Aristotle was famous for. This gave rise to the notion that there was not just one person to thank for physics as we know it, but there were many.
Physics developed over time through the breakthroughs of scientists
Galileo Galilei, an iconic Italian physicist and astronomer was considered the father of modern science. He radically changed the way that science was proven, in that he explained all discoveries through experimentation and mathematics. Proving phenomena through experimentation, that could be repeated, and was measurable through mathematics became the new standard in science. Galilei was famous for creating his own equipment required for experimental work when trying to prove some of his own theories. Perhaps Galileo’s most famous addition to the field of science, is that he is to thank for the way we set out our scientific method today, with a hypothesis, aim, apparatus, materials, results and discussion. This new scientific method allowed for a rapid advancement in science, as people could replicate experiments using the same scientific method. This allowed for people to test current theory, and to understand the legitimacy of science in that point in time, and to see if discoveries could be made through overturning outdated scientific conclusions.
The father of physics
The most influential scientist of the 17th century and the father of modern physics was born in a Lilliputian English village. Sir Isaac Newton was unfortunately born premature and was much smaller than the average baby, and he was not expected to survive long. However, as history will tell us, he did not only survive, he flourished. Sir Isaac Newton had theories that lead to amazing work on gravity and the laws of motion. A favourite is his discovery of gravity, with the falling of an apple from a tree. It is supposed that Newton had discovered the system of gravitation, as an apple fell from a tree in his garden, and he observed the force that pulled the fruit to the ground. Some stories do prefer the tale that the apple hit Newton on the head and he had an epiphany, but unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple. There are many trees that are claimed to be “the tree” that caused Isaac to discover gravitational forces. In Trinity College in Cambridge, where Newton studied, is a tree that is believed to be a descendant of the original tree. The tree has become as interesting in the development of gravitational theory as the person who developed it.
The father of modern physics
You may have done something well in your studies and someone may have referred to you as a “genius” or “Einstein”, as the terms are now synonymous. The man himself was born in 1879 in Germany. He was always a bit different from other children, as he did not speak much, and his head was a little larger than most. Like Newton, Albert Einstein had a peculiar start to life, both thought somewhat strange or sickly. However, Einstein went on to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, “for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect”. He is to thank for our understanding of space, time, gravity, and the universe. His theory of relativity also showed us that matter and energy are just two different forms of the same thing, which he expressed through the most famous equation of all time, E=mc2. Beyond relativity and theoretical physics, Einstein’s contributions to the world can be seen through everyday items such as paper towels, solar power, laser pointers, and stock market forecasts.
Fathers and mothers of physics
Today, we can see many great minds have shifted our view in physics. There is no single father of physics, nor is there one single mother. It was developed through the ages, right from the early man who invented the fire from rubbing sticks together. Therefore the idea of singling out one person, from all of the scientists who have devoted their entire lives to the development of Physics, would be foolhardy. We remember famous physicists throughout the ages, both male and female. Particular mention for famous female physicists goes to: Marie Curie (who pioneers the research on radioactivity) and Lise Meitner (who specialised in nuclear physics that gave rise to nuclear power). We give credit to each and every man and woman that worked hard to create a society with these scientific innovations which we enjoy, and most probably take for granted.
