Albert Einstein is probably the best known scientist of the 20th Century. Most people know of his theory of relativity and that famous little equation E=mc². Yet it's not for this or quantum physics that Einstein inspires me. It was his ability to think outside the square and to apply great creativity and imagination to science. He opened the boundaries of his mind and didn't accept reality as it presented itself.
Albert Einstein may have looked like the stereotypical mad inventor with wild hair and an intense look, but he was not the mono-dimensional scientist which is the other great cliché of science. He was definitely a well rounded individual - he embraced philosophy from an early age and was into art. At university he could be seen hanging out in cafes and bars, discussing physics with other students.
See AlsoThe Power of Love: A letter from Albert Einstein to his daughterAlbert Einstein Quotes on SpiritualityAlbert Einstein Quotes (Author of Relativity)Albert Einstein Quotes on EducationEinstein was a bit of a rebel, and not too good with authority figures. One of his earlier teachers accused him of sitting in the back row and smiling (a familiar sounding accusation - not that I'd want to compare myself with Einstein). He always felt better if he could reject authority rather than it rejecting him. And one or the other happened on many occasions!
Contrary to what many people think, Einstein was not directly involved in the Manhattan Project - that infamous undertaking to develop the world's first nuclear weapon. Even back in the 1930s Einstein was well known as a pacifist. He did not work on the Project and he was not present at any nuclear tests. Yet he is linked to the bomb's development - E=mc² was essential to the physics behind the bomb. Einstein also wrote to President Roosevelt to alert him to the possiblity of the development of a nuclear weapon by the Nazis. In any case, his limited association with the development of the atomic bomb was a source of great sadness for Einstein.
Had Einstein wanted to work on the Manhattan Project, he probably would have been prevented because of the fears of the FBI, who by 1940 had a 1500 page dossier on Einstein. Albert Einstein was a member of the League against Imperialism and for National Independence. He had left-wing politics and he was a foreign scientist living in the United States. The FBI, paranoid and searching for communist sympathisers, thought one of the world's greatest minds an "extreme radical" and a security risk.
Interestingly, when he was younger, Einstein thought that he lacked imagination. In high school he wrote - "My disposition for abstract and mathematical thought, [and my] lack of imagination and ability" as his reasons for becoming a teacher in physics and mathematics. Not so later on in life, when Einstein had played with our perception of the world and re-negotiated it, he then said "I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world". A poet as well!
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FAQs
What inspiration do we get from Albert Einstein? ›
Yet it's not for this or quantum physics that Einstein inspires me. It was his ability to think outside the square and to apply great creativity and imagination to science. He opened the boundaries of his mind and didn't accept reality as it presented itself.
What are 5 interesting facts about Albert Einstein? ›- Einstein discovered that the universe has a "speed limit." ...
- He argued that space and time are interwoven. ...
- He won the Nobel Prize for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. ...
- Einstein transformed the way physicists view light.
Einstein was motivated by an intellectual need to unify the forces of nature. He felt very strongly that all of nature must be described by a single theory.
What are 4 things Albert Einstein invented? ›Einstein's discoveries led to modern-day inventions like paper towels, solar power, stock market forecasts and laser pointers, but his theory of general relativity is often regarded as his most significant contribution.
What did Albert Einstein say before he died? ›April 18, 1955—Albert Einstein dies soon after a blood vessel bursts near his heart. When asked if he wanted to undergo surgery, Einstein refused, saying, "I want to go when I want to go. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share; it is time to go.
What was Einstein's IQ? ›A bit of Googling revealed Einstein and Stephen Hawking are both said to have had IQs of around 160. That was when it started to sink in that it was "really quite impressive", Mr Bidwell said. "We've always known he's an incredibly bright lad.
What is the Einstein rule for a 6 year old? ›Albert Einstein most famously said “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself.” This is perhaps the biggest communication lesson, we often talk about capturing the hearts and minds of people in our roles as communicators here at Struber, but we need to make it basic and step by step.
What are 10 words that describe Albert Einstein? ›- bright.
- brilliant.
- canny.
- clever.
- nobody's fool.
- perceptive.
- perspicacious.
- sagacious.
Albert liked doing puzzles, reading books about nature, and playing violin. He was fascinated by the invisible magnetic force that makes compasses work. And he was very curious about math. Albert married and had children.
What is Albert Einstein's first words? ›The doctors found nothing wrong. The story goes that Albert didn't speak a word until he was three or four years old. Then suddenly, over supper one night, he said, “The soup is too hot.” Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he had never said anything before.
What are 3 things Einstein did? ›
- Avogadro's Number.
- Brownian Movement.
- Quantum Theory of Light.
- Special Theory of Relativity.
- Photoelectric Effect.
From the moment he entered the United States in 1933, Albert Einstein was under constant surveillance by the FBI, which was alarmed by his advocacy of peace through world government and his support for Zionism. This file chronicles the daily activities and findings of agents assigned to Einstein over the years.
What was Albert Einstein's greatest achievement? ›Einstein's biggest achievement is widely considered to be his theory of general relativity. General relativity is a theory of gravity that describes how mass and energy curve spacetime. Spacetime is the fabric of the universe, and it is made up of four dimensions: three spatial dimensions and one time dimension.
How is Einstein a role model? ›Albert Einstein had a positive effect on the future of the world because without his discoveries many of today's inventions would be non-existent. He changed the way scientists view everything from matter and energy, as well as light, Time Magazine even named him the most influential person of the 20th century.
Where do scientists get their inspiration? ›Working for change inspires most scientists – whether they are the marine gurus in Young Ocean Explorers, climate change scientists or medical specialists. The desire to improve people's lives or the environment is one of the things that attracts people to science and keeps them in their jobs.
Why did Albert Einstein come to us? ›Albert Einstein moved to the United States in 1933 after fleeing Nazi Germany. At the time he commented, "As long as I have any choice in the matter, I will live only in a country where civil liberty, tolerance and equality of all citizens before the law are the rule." He became an American citizen seven years later.