Why has Einsteins fame so disproportionately eclipsed other 20th century scientists-Planck and Bohr, Dirac, and Schrodinger?
It’s partly because he engaged more overtly with themes that fascinate all thinking people-time, space, origins and the cosmos. It was fortunate for science that its pre-eminent practitioner purveyed such an engaging and idealistic image. But there’s one downside of his pre-eminence. It unduly exalts “arm-chair theory.” Pure thought by itself wouldn’t have gotten us far. The cumulative advance of science requires new technology and new instruments-in symbiosis, of course, with theory and insight. The cosmic discoveries I mentioned earlier depended on space technology, sensors for faint radiation, powerful computers, and so forth. We could do with some higher-profile role models in more practical fields. Most people can readily name great 19th century engineers-Brunel, for instance. Those who’ve given us today’s amazing technologies deserve as much acclaim. (Indeed, engineers have been even worse at PR than physicists-this seems to be one reason why their leading practitioners shouldn’t
