The equation, though originating with physical science, explores fields way beyond that as well. It is the equation that helps us understand many of the natural processes of the universe. With a greater understanding of the natural processes, people have been able to develop new technologies.
Medical and Space Developments
There are countless other major milestones besides the development of the atomic bomb that occurred from the equation...
"We take advantage of that realization today in many technologies. PET scans and similar diagnostics used in hospitals, for example, make use of E = mc². "Whenever you use a radioactive substance to illuminate processes in the human body, you're paying direct homage to Einstein's insight," says Sylvester James Gates, a physicist at the University of Maryland..."
~ Peter Tyson, editor in chief for pbs NOVA
PET Scan, Courtesy of Britannica
"Space technologies owe much to the equation. Unceasing E = mc² disintegrations from radioactive elements such as plutonium provide everything from power for telecommunications satellites to the heat needed to keep the Mars rovers functioning during the frigid martian winter. Space travel in the distant future may also rely on such radiation-derived power. Photons streaming out from the sun and other stars hold energy that in the vacuum of space can theoretically be harnessed to propel a spaceship. "In the far future," says David Hogg, a cosmologist at New York University, "if you imagine that we're sailing to distant stars with spaceships that are driven by radiation pressure—if that ever happens, that will be a really big legacy of Einstein's kinematics."
~ Peter Tyson, editor in chief for pbs NOVA
Realistic Artwork of Rover on Mars, Courtesy of Britannica
As shown, the equation can be applied to future developments as well. The fact that over a century has passed since Einstein developed the equation, and scientists are still making use of it for more scientific developments, really shows that this equation was a revolutionary breakthrough.
Inventions from E=mc² Affecting our Daily Lives
From our phone's clock to the GPS satellites, there are things around us made possible by E=mc² that affect our everyday lives. Examples are shown below.
