Albert Einstein vs Isaac Newton
Who? Pick one and see how the world splits.
- Albert Einstein Germany · 1879–1955 61% · #1 in the world
- Isaac Newton United Kingdom · 1643–1727 39% · #2 in the world
What the votes say
The world picks Albert Einstein over Isaac Newton, 61% to 39%. Albert Einstein is #1 of the 185 thinkers in the world ranking. Isaac Newton is #2, and #1 of the 27 from the United Kingdom.
The case for each
Albert Einstein: In 1905 alone: special relativity, E = mc² and the light quanta that won the 1921 Nobel Prize. Then general relativity in 1915, the theory behind black holes, gravitational waves and the expanding universe.
Isaac Newton: The laws of motion and universal gravitation in the Principia (1687), calculus, and the discovery that white light is a spectrum of colours. Physics ran on Newton's ideas for two centuries.
Side by side
| Albert Einstein | Isaac Newton | |
|---|---|---|
| World rank | #1 | #2 |
| Country | Germany | United Kingdom |
| Lived | 1879–1955 | 1643–1727 |