Think about what kind of mind it would take to answer a complex question posed by Albert Einstein. Since we're all familiar with just how brilliant Einstein was, and of how much his contributions to physics literally changed the world, you can bet that it would take a pretty bright fellow to put forth an answer from the master himself.

The bright fellow who was able to fill in some of Einstein's blanks was none other than  Karl Schwarzschild – a brilliant scientist and world changer by his own right.

Born in Germany in October of 1873, Karl Schwarzschild was a solid physicist by all accounts. But it was when he provided the first exact solution to Einstein's field equations of relativity that he stepped into his role as the modern-day answer man in the world of physics.

He formulated and published his answer to these equations in 1915, and it ultimately led to famous Schwarzschild radius – which describes the size of the event horizon of a non-rotating black hole. Pretty amazing breakthrough indeed…

And how did Einstein feel about Karl Schwarzschild 's answer to his equations? As it turns out he was quite pleased, and even surprised that such complex equations would yield a precise, exact solution.

Other Contributions

As is usually the case with brilliant scientific minds, Karl Schwarzschild had more tricks up his sleeve, besides providing the answer to Einstein's equations (which was no small feat…)

Before he even took this huge step forward, he had already developed a formula that would calculate the optical density of photographic material.

This leap forward in photographic sciences led to some of the modern day leaps in the technology of taking high resolution photographs and capturing detailed video footage.

Karl Schwarzschild : His Legacy

From just the few things we've discussed so far, it's apparent that Karl Schwarzschild left behind quite an impressive legacy.

But his professional work was only a part of the legacy that Karl Schwarzschild  passed on to the world. His own son, Martin Schwarzschild went on to become one of the world's leading astrophysicists.

So it really does appear that genius is in the genes, as it isn't that often that two such brilliant minds end up coming from the same family.

Having all the answers is something that no one will every be able to do. But for Karl Schwarzschild, having the answers to some of the world's most complex equations certainly turned out to be a proof positive of just how much knowledge this man had to impart to the world.

With all we here today about the “Greenhouse Effect” and other hot-button ecological concerns, it's easy to forget all the pioneering efforts of scientists over the years.

Let's face it – the mainstream media didn't just wake up one day and decide to start publishing stories about some of the threats facing the world we live in. Brilliant scientific minds had been establishing the facts related to the dangers of carbon dioxide in the environment for decades.

Chief among the voices of warning about the Greenhouse Effect was Roger Revelle. In fact, he is generally credited with being the visionary who saw the very real and present dangers that carbon emissions create.

Early Efforts

The ultimate formulation of Roger Revelle's theories about the Greenhouse Effect were a long time coming. Since the mid to late fifties, Revelle conducted studies and research on the environmental impact of carbon emissions.

During this period he made a bold prediction that the earth's ocean's would actually absorb excessive carbon dioxide created by mankind at a slower rate than was generally accepted in the scientific community.

Over time, this slower absorption would create a process that caused the planet to heat up at a slow rate – the foundation of the Greenhouse Effect.

Although other leading environmental scientists were also exploring this field, Roger Revelle's findings alone stressed the ever growing threat of C02

Working with another scientist, Revelle described what was known at the time as the “buffer factor”, though now it is known as the “Revelle Factor.” This factor describes the resistance to carbon dioxide absorption at the ocean's surface.

And while that may not mean much to those of us outside of the environmental science field, it is considered an important factor for all modern day global warming studies.

Lifes Work

In the coming years and decades we're sure to hear a lot more about the Greenhouse Effect, global warming and other environmental threats.

And while Roger Revelle may have passed away in 1991, it's a sure thing that the foundation he laid for this field of study will continue to be as important in the near future as they were when he first proposed his findings in the fifties.

As scientists continue to build on this foundation to help thwart the threat of Greenhouse gases, we can all look back and remember the person who championed this cause from the very beginning – Roger Revelle.

While it's generally accepted that some of the most important scientific breakthroughs took place in the twentieth century, without the foundational efforts of earlier scientists many of the latter day discoveries would have never taken place.

Of all the great scientific minds of the nineteenth century, one name clearly stands head and shoulders above them all – James Clerk Maxwell.

This man's mathematical prowess and groundbreaking equations helped to encapsulate many theories that would shape the face of scientific progress to be what we know it as today.

Early Days

James Clerk Maxwell was born in Scotland in 1831. It was clear from the earliest days of his development that he had a great affinity for and prowess in mathematics. Surpassing all of his peers during the primary education years, he went on to the most advanced courses and classes of his day – passing them all with ease.

This strong mathematical foundation came into play later, when James Clerk Maxwell  began to formulate some of the classic, overriding theories of electricity, magnetism and optical sciences.

In fact, it was this combination of disciplines that led to Maxwell's famous discovery that electricity, light and magnetism are all different manifestations of one phenomenon – the electromagnetic field. It is now believed that all theories in this field which followed are simply reworkings of Maxwell's original equations.

Not since Isaac Newton has one scientist contributed overarching theories and equations which have been translated into so many scientific subdivisions in the future.

Lifes Work

Through the breakthrough ideas that unified light, electricity and magnetism into one common field, James Clerk Maxwell saved subsequent scientists from years of research, testing and reworking of their most important theories.

But it seems that one, huge breakthrough wasn't enough for this great thinker; as he actually contributed greatly to other fields and disciplines.

His statistical means of describing the kinetic theories of gases laid the foundation for modern physics. Pretty impressive stuff to come from just one man in the late eighteen hundreds.

Science, like all of mankind's other endeavors, is a cumulative discipline. Today's geniuses build on the foundations that the greats of the past have laid.

And while every great thinker deserves his place in the scientific family tree, there are few that can be recognized as true roots of this tree, like James Clerk Maxwell has proven himself to be.

Benjamin Franklin is one of those rare legendary figures who represents a true paradox for people With the key role that he played in the foundation of the United States, and his popular image displayed so prominently, people really think they know all about this Founding Father.

You can even ask fifty random people – “Which president is on the one hundred dollar bill?” and you'll probably get the answer – “Benjamin Franklin.”

This represents part of our misconception about this great scientific mind, politician and renaissance man.

(We know you already know it, but we'll include this information for those who don't… Franklin was never elected president of the United States; he's just one of those rare figures who shows up on our currency who was not one of our presidents…)

With that common, little misconception out of the way, let's talk a bit about some of the scientific findings that Benjamin Franklin was responsible for.

To make just one revolutionary scientific discovery is much more than most people will ever be able to take credit for. But Benjamin Franklin simply wasn't most people.

In addition to being a philosopher, politician and renown ladies man, he did in fact come up with some amazing discoveries. Here are just a few from his laundry list of scientific breakthroughs:

• Groundbreaking theories about electricity.The Lightning Rod
   
• The Franklin Stove
   
• The Glass 'armonica
   
• The Bifocal Glasses
   
• The Carriage Odometer

In addition to these more scientific breakthroughs, Benjamin Franklin also came up with a concept that proved to bring enlightenment and education to the entire world – the very first lending library.

No one knows how many great minds were able to develop because of the libraries of the world, and we can all thank Franklin for providing the first steps and foundation ideas that sparked the entire lending library tradition.

Whether you want to remember Benjamin Franklin as a scientist, author, abolitionist, politician or legendary wit, it will do you well to remember that he was a one-of-a-kind personality and the type of true thinking man who we may never see the likes of again.

And the next time someone mentions him as one of the best presidents this country ever had, you can smile and recall just how much this true American legend is really responsible for introducing to the world.

With so much buzz about environmental concerns these days, we can all be thankful for pioneering scientists who have made breakthroughs that could very well help to put an end to problematic atmospheric changes.

A true living legend named Robert D. Cess is one of those scientific minds that we can all thank for his contribution to the scientific community.

His theories and studies have shown promise in helping to ultimately reverse some of the damage being done to the earth's atmosphere.

Early Education

Robert D. Cess has a long and decorated career as a scholar. He first earned his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the renown Oregon State University.

Brilliant minds are rarely satisfied with a graduate degree, though, so he followed up the bachelors degree with a masters from Purdue in 1956.

Following that, Cess went on to ultimately receive his PhD D. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1959.

Throughout his studies and professional career he has become one of the world's most renown experts on climate change and atmospheric sciences.

Relevant Studies

Being known as one of the most brilliant minds in the climate field, it's easy to imagine that Robert D. Cess has been more than busy over the past few decades.

Few scientific fields are as in demand as the field that directly relates to the air that we breathe every day. Chief among Cess' studies have been breakthrough research into how the climate reacts to various stimuli.

He has done extensive modeling of climate responses to radiation waves, which are helping to shape the fight against global warming today.

Industry Recognition

Any time a scientific career spans the decades, you can be sure that the professional accolades are sure to come rolling in. And this has certainly been true of Robert D. Cess' career.

His list of professional awards are very impressive and always growing. He even won NASA's highest science award – the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, back in 1989.

Robert D. Cess also received the Jule G. Charney Award, which is given only to scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the understanding of atmospheric radiation and climate change.

As the environment continues to be a growing concern for all of us, it's comforting to know that one of the most brilliant minds of the past fifty years has laid the foundation for what could very well be life saving scientific breakthroughs in the very near future. And for that we all owe Robert D. Cess a sincere debt of gratitude.