No One, Not Even Newton Or Einstein, Was The Muhammad Ali Of Physics
“The Greatest” defeated all opponents when the heavyweight division was its richest. Has any physicist done the same?
“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” -Muhammad Ali
It might not seem that the most fundamental of sciences has that much in common with the sweet science, but the art of solving a complex, seemingly insurmountable problem elegantly and efficiently is a beauty at the core of both. Both require the development of a powerful and unique toolkit — different types of punches, evasions, defenses and goading in boxing; different types of formulations, mathematical tools and problem solving techniques in physics — to deal with the relentless onslaught of your opponent. And perhaps most importantly, they both demand that you coax the greatness out of whatever or whomever you face in order to magnify your own achievements. No one lauds Edward Arthur Milne for his empty Universe solution; no one lauds Trevor Berbick for his defeat of a way-past-his-prime Ali.
