The Rebel Geniuses of Science: Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking

Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking were rebellious geniuses who challenged conventional wisdom and conceived radically new visions of the cosmos. They faced opposition, displayed strong egos, and dared to decipher the mysteries of the universe.

Galileo Galilei, born in 1564 in Pisa, Italy, inherited his father's rebellious nature. As a professor of mathematics at the University of Pisa, he challenged the scientific theories of Aristotle, paving the way for a new understanding of the universe based on mathematical laws of motion.

Galileo Galilei's experiments, such as studying the motion of falling bodies, revolutionized scientific thought by demonstrating that objects move according to mathematical laws, not by desires. He laid the foundation for basic laws of motion, challenging ancient Greek beliefs and setting the stage for modern physics.

Galileo conducted an experiment with a inclined plane and a falling ball to demonstrate how bodies gain speed as they descend, introducing the concept of acceleration. This experiment was a key mathematical advancement in understanding motion.

Galileo was the first to use experiments to understand physics, later earning him the title of the father of modern physics by Albert Einstein. His work paved the way for Newton and Einstein in uncovering the mathematical laws behind motion.

In 1609, Galileo learned about a telescope and quickly mastered lens-making to create his own. He impressed the Venetian navy with his telescope, leading to a salary increase. Despite not being the exclusive inventor, Galileo's entrepreneurial skills were evident.

Galileo, a free thinker, used the telescope to challenge conventional beliefs. He observed the universe like never before, discovering four moons orbiting Jupiter. This finding supported the idea that not all celestial bodies revolve around the Earth, potentially contradicting biblical teachings.

Galileo faced opposition for his new theories that contradicted traditional beliefs. He grew impatient with skeptics, using his observations to defend his ideas. Despite facing criticism, Galileo's groundbreaking discoveries reshaped the understanding of the universe.

At the age of 51, in 1615, Galileo traveled to Rome to present his case. His visit marked a pivotal moment in his life as he sought to defend his revolutionary ideas in the face of skepticism and opposition.

Galileo faces opposition from the church for teaching that the Earth revolves around the sun. Despite being ordered to stop, he persists and eventually writes a book with permission from a friendly pope. The Inquisition arrests Galileo in 1633, accusing him of heresy, but the real reason seems to be his portrayal of the pope's favorite argument in a ridiculous light in his writings.

Under threat of torture, Galileo kneels and retracts his beliefs. He spends his last eight years under house arrest, broken and destitute. Despite his fame for advocating heliocentrism, his greatest scientific achievement is using mathematics to analyze motion in his later years.

Galileo's defense of heliocentrism makes him famous, but his true legacy lies in his mathematical analysis of motion. His ideas influence future scientists, including a child born 1300 kilometers away the year he dies, who will continue his work.

Isaac Newton, born in 1642 in a remote English village, has a troubled childhood. Orphaned before birth, he grows up with a strict, puritanical grandmother. Feeling betrayed when his mother remarries and leaves him, Newton struggles with feelings of abandonment and later confesses to childhood sins of threatening to burn his mother and stepfather.

Newton is described as a solitary figure consumed by his work, with an obsessive dedication to his studies. Despite a difficult childhood, he becomes one of the greatest scientists of all time, revolutionizing physics by accurately describing various forms of motion, from falling apples to planetary orbits.

Isaac Newton, a puritan obsessed with sin, attended Trinity College in Cambridge. Unlike his peers who focused on drinking and partying, Newton preferred solitude and isolation. He was considered an outsider due to his lack of interest in socializing and came from a wealthy background. Newton led a monastic, solitary life, devoid of romantic relationships or close friendships.

Newton dedicated himself to studying mathematics at Trinity College. He delved into advanced mathematics independently and pioneered new mathematical concepts to analyze motion. Newton's fascination with the sun's movement led to groundbreaking observations about the gradual trajectories of moving bodies, resulting in beautiful spirals, ellipses, and circles. He invented calculus at a remarkable pace, equivalent to first-year university students learning it.

At 24 years old, living with his mother, Newton had a pivotal moment that revolutionized physics. While walking in the estate, he saw an apple fall and then looked up to see the moon. This led to his key insight that the same force of gravity attracting the apple to Earth could also be responsible for the moon's orbit. Newton realized that gravity not only affects objects on Earth but also governs the movement of planets and celestial bodies, unifying the laws of the heavens and the earth.

Isaac Newton spent nearly 20 years in discovery before becoming a mathematics professor at the University of Cambridge. His teaching responsibilities were minimal, allowing him to dedicate 24 hours a day to research in mathematics and physics. Newton's colleagues recognized his genius and peculiar nature.

In 1672, Newton was admitted to the Royal Society, the prestigious English association of scientists, after the invention of a new telescope. He allowed the publication of a brilliant article on optics, although he reacted strongly when physicist Robert Hooke questioned his theory.

Historians speculate that Newton's vengeful nature, extreme sensitivity to criticism, and obsessive work habits may indicate a mental illness like manic depression. Newton's reactions to criticism often involved explaining why the other person's statement was foolish.

At the age of 42, Newton was tasked with mathematically describing the orbits of planets around the sun, a challenge that had baffled England's top physicists. Fueled by inspiration, Newton secluded himself to work on his masterpiece, focusing on deciphering the laws of gravity.

Newton emerged after two years of intense work with a groundbreaking masterpiece that transformed the world. His Principia focused on fundamental principles, revealing how mass interacts with force, inertia, and acceleration. Newton's precise laws defined the movement of all bodies, marking a scientific revolution.

Newton's Principia, published in 1687, revolutionized scientific understanding by providing precise laws governing the motion of bodies, from cannonballs to planets. His exceptional mathematical achievements in a short period highlight his extraordinary intellect and dedication.

Albert Einstein, at 16 years old, pondered the limitations of Newtonian physics. Over 200 years later, another rebel, arrogant scientist discovered that Newton's laws do not hold at very high speeds, revealing a universe far stranger than previously imagined.

Albert Einstein, born in 1879 in southern Germany to a middle-class Jewish family, was a quiet and introverted child who showed remarkable perseverance and fascination with puzzles and games. At the age of nine, he built a 14-story card tower and was often isolated, finding solace in books and ideologies. In 1896, at 17, Einstein was admitted to the ETH Zurich, a pioneering polytechnic university in Switzerland, known for its research worldwide.

Despite his ambition to become a theoretical physicist, Einstein faced obstacles in his academic journey. His physics professor, Mr. Peder, lacked interest in cutting-edge theories on light and electricity. Einstein resorted to using a friend's notes to pass exams and graduated with average grades. His behavior attracted attention, but he faced rejection when applying for academic positions, leading to a sense of failure.

After two years of job rejections, Einstein secured a position as a patent office clerk in Switzerland. Despite the job's unrelated nature to theoretical physics, it provided stability. Einstein married Mileva Maric, a university companion, and settled into a bourgeois life in Bern. The job's low demands allowed him to explore avant-garde physics concepts, such as the nature of light, laying the foundation for his future groundbreaking work.

Immersed in his intellectual pursuits, Einstein revisited a simple image that had intrigued him since high school: what would happen if he traveled at the speed of light? Drawing inspiration from Isaac Newton's ability to create simple yet profound images, Einstein delved into conceptualizing ideas that would revolutionize our understanding of the universe, driven by an insatiable intellectual curiosity.

Einstein's theory of relativity challenges Newton's laws, stating that a ray of light moves away from you at the speed of light, making it impossible to catch up no matter how fast you run. This concept revolutionized the understanding of time and space, showing that time is relative and depends on the speed of movement.

At just 26 years old, Einstein dismantles Newton's laws of motion with his theory of relativity. He questions fundamental assumptions and introduces the idea that when objects travel at speeds close to that of light, common sense no longer applies, leading to phenomena like time dilation and length contraction.

In 1907, Einstein faces personal challenges while working on his masterpiece. His wife, Mileva, a physics student dreaming of her own scientific achievements, feels neglected as Einstein immerses himself in his work. The strain on their marriage is further exacerbated by the presence of Mileva's romantic rival, Elsa.

At 35 years old, Einstein is driven by the belief in a general theory of relativity that explains gravity. He dedicates years to complex mathematics, facing self-doubt and near-depression. In 1915, he finally formulates his new vision, demonstrating how mass and energy curve spacetime, influencing the motion of celestial bodies.

Einstein's theory of general relativity revolutionized our understanding of space-time, describing how celestial bodies move through curved space-time. The simplicity of Einstein's equations, summarizing complex phenomena in just 5 centimeters, is awe-inspiring and beautiful.

Despite working until his death at 40, Einstein completed his greatest work, unveiling the laws governing the universe through his equations. His pursuit of a more complex theory revealed universal laws that transcend everyday experiences.

Stephen Hawking, a once lazy student, now holds a prestigious position at Cambridge University, following in the footsteps of Galileo, Newton, and Einstein. Hawking, born in 1942 in Oxford, England, is driven by a fascination with how things work.

Despite his lack of dedication in college, Stephen Hawking's exceptional mathematical skills allowed him to pass exams without much effort. His transformation from a bored student to a passionate mind was triggered by a tragic event.

In 1962, Stephen Hawking began his postgraduate studies in cosmology at Cambridge University. Diagnosed with ALS, he faced the prospect of paralysis and a shortened lifespan. Despite the grim prognosis, Hawking's determination and resilience shone through.

Stephen Hawking initially felt that completing his doctorate was not worth it, but as his illness progressed slower than expected, he met his future wife, James White, and found a new purpose in life.

Stephen Hawking starts working diligently for the first time in his life and surprisingly discovers that he enjoys it, marking a significant shift in his approach to work.

In the early 1970s, Stephen Hawking, a renowned cosmologist, despite being confined to a wheelchair, is determined to lead a normal life, has children, works intensively, and is on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery that will advance Einstein's theory in an unexpected direction.

Einstein's general theory of relativity predicts the movement of large bodies like galaxies but fails to explain the behavior of subatomic particles, which are crucial to the universe. This movement is only predicted by another theory called quantum mechanics, leading to a fundamental incompatibility between the two theories.

Stephen Hawking sets out to bridge the gap between the opposing camps of conservative Einstein followers and quantum theorists by proposing to unify their differing views on physics, a groundbreaking idea that had not been attempted before.

Stephen Hawking delves into the study of black holes, using his remarkable intuition and perspicacity akin to Einstein to analyze the behavior of particles trapped by gravity near black holes, a task deemed impossible by his colleagues.

Despite his physical limitations, Stephen Hawking defies expectations by solely relying on his intellect to conduct groundbreaking research on black holes, showcasing his exceptional concentration, ability to visualize complex equations, and innovative thinking.

Stephen Hawking's determination to uncover the truth about black holes is evident as he relies on knowledge, logical leaps, and a strong drive to delve deep into the unknown, compensating for the inability to verify every detail line by line.

Hawking's groundbreaking discovery of the radiation of Hawking challenges the previous belief that black holes were completely isolated from the universe. This radiation, carrying energy and mass, causes black holes to gradually fade away until they disappear.

Hawking's significant contribution lies in successfully merging general relativity and quantum theory, demonstrating that black holes emit radiation and do not remain completely black. This achievement showcases the compatibility of theories on both large and small scales.

Hawking's pursuit of a unified theory that reconciles Einstein's equations with quantum mechanics represents the holy grail of physics, offering insights into the universe's origins. His work instills hope that the ultimate puzzle can be solved, despite the complexity of the task.

Great physicists throughout history, like Stephen Hawking, are described as unconventional, rebellious, and deeply intuitive individuals unafraid to challenge established norms. Their relentless pursuit of knowledge uncovers hidden laws of nature, leaving a lasting impact on scientific understanding.