Pottery:
Yes, it was a bit of tongue-in-cheek about E=mc², but there's an element of truth to it. (This is hard to get across sometimes in posts.) The really useful one everyone remembers is the relation between momentum and energy, as you said, but my professor was just talking about the single equation for rest energy. E=mc² really is overrated in the way the public thinks of it as "the" equation of science. F=ma would be much more appropriate given its historical impact.
fearuin:
I gather that you don't like physics.

I know how you feel--I've seen it lots of times. I think I first realized I was in trouble when my first physics test was over and I thought it was fun.

Actually, it's not relativity that's bad, once you get used to it, but quantum mechanics. (What do you mean the particle goes through both slits at once?!!)
Oppenheimer is already on the American list!
I don't think it would suit Einstein to be with the independents, as it doesn't really fit the way Rhye has it worked out right now. Do Independents even get great people in his scenario?
kairob:
Yes, this is exactly what I thought of last night after I left the forum, as the game supposedly keeps a list of each person born to prevent them from appearing twice. But I don't know if this would work the way I have it set up, and besides it sets a bad precedent to start listing names twice. Then everybody would complain and we'd have to duplicate many names.
My take is to just leave the lists as they are, and if certain names are really bothersome to people, it is very simple to switch them around in notepad. I hate to take this position, but it seems to be the only viable one.
It really irks me that Firaxis used the name Praetorian rather than Legionary, for example, but I changed it so long ago that I don't even notice anymore. We have to use some kind of standardized list, and we just can't debate every name. So if a certain name really seems ridiculous to someone, I sympathize and all I can say is just change it when you download the new mod. You'll never notice again.
Let's remember why these lists were made in the first place: because we all agreed it was ridiculous to see famous people being born in places completely out of touch with history, like the infamous "Isaac Newton in Shanghai" scenario. (I've never gotten a PM or a post that says, "Please bring back the old way. I like to see Shakespeare born in Japan!") So I understand people wanting to ensure accuracy and not make the same mistake twice, but even at worst it makes sense for Einstein to be American and for Columbus to be Spanish than it does for them to be, say, Russian or Malinese. It really shouldn't be controversial, but if it's going to cause lots of people to get upset (something I want to avoid) then maybe it would be best not to have it in Rhye's and Fall of Civilization after all. I'm beginning to wonder if I should ask Rhye to leave it out.