Concerning the Production
and Transformation of
Light"
energy is exchanged only in discrete amounts
(quanta). This idea was pivotal to the early
development of quantum theory.
"On the Motion of Small
Particles Suspended in a
Stationary Liquid, as
Required by the Molecular
Kinetic Theory of Heat"
Explained empirical evidence for the atomic
theory, supporting the application of statistical
physics.
"On the Electrodynamics of
Moving Bodies"
Reconciled Maxwell's equations for electricity
and magnetism with the laws of mechanics by
introducing changes to mechanics, resulting
from analysis based on empirical evidence that
the speed of light is independent of the motion
of the observer. Discredited the concept of a
"luminiferous ether".
"Does the Inertia of a Body
Depend Upon Its Energy
Content?"
Equivalence of matter and energy, E = mc2
(and by implication, the ability of gravity to
"bend" light), the existence of "rest energy",
and the basis of nuclear energy.
He then extended the theory to gravitational fields; he published a paper on
general relativity in 1916, introducing his theory of gravitation. In 1917, he
applied the general theory of relativity to model the structure of the universe.
He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum
theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of
molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light and the quantum
theory of radiation, which laid the foundation of the photon theory of light.
However, for much of the later part of his career, he worked on two ultimately
unsuccessful endeavors. First, despite his great contributions to quantum
mechanics, he opposed what it evolved into, objecting that nature "does not
play dice". Second, he attempted to devise a unified field theory by generalizing
his geometric theory of gravitation to include electromagnetism. As a result, he
became increasingly isolated from the mainstream of modern physics.
Source: Wikipedia (Albert Einstein)