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Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries there is one whose name is known by almost all living people.
While most of these do not understand this man's work, everyone knows
that its impact on the world of science is astonishing. Yes,many have
heard of Albert Einstein's General Theory of relativity, but few know
about the intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some
have called, "The greatest single achievement of human thought."
Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1874. Before his
first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where young Albert's
father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical
business. He was fortunate to have an excellent family with which he
held a strong relationship. Albert's mother, Pauline Einstein, had an
intense passion for music and literature, and it was she that first
introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and
relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and
they could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the
countryside near Munich.
As a child, Einstein's sense of curiosity had already begun to stir.
A favorite toy of his was his father's compass, and he often marveled
at his uncle's explanations of algebra. Although young Albert was
intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow
learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the age of nine
even led some teachers to believe he was disabled.
Einstein's post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when
he was ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit
through the school's strict disciplinary policy. His disapproval of
this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was
probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge
at home. He began not with science, but with religion. He avidly
studied the Bible seeking truth, but this religious fervor soon died
down when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To him, these
seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With this new
knowledge he disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from
Luitpold Gymnasium being considered a disruptive influence.
Feeling that he could no longer deal with the German mentality,
Einstein moved to Switzerland where he continued his education. At
sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute of Technology
but failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study locally for one
year until he finally passed the school's evaluation. The Institute
allowed Einstein to meet many other students that shared his curiosity,
and It was here that his studies turned mainly to Physics. He quickly
learned that while physicists had generally agreed on major principals
in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to
disprove outdated theories. Since most of Einstein's teachers ignored
these new ideas, he was again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he
graduated from the Institute and then achieved citizenship to
Switzerland.
Einstein became a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office in 1902. This job
had little to do with physics, but he was able to satiate his curiosity
by figuring out how new inventions worked. The most important part of
Einstein's occupation was that it allowed him enough time to pursue his
own line of research. As his ideas began to develop, he published them
in specialist journals. Though he was still unknown to the scientific
world, he began to attract a large circle of friends and admirers. A
group of students that he tutored quickly transformed into a social
club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science. In
1903 he married Mileva Meric, a mathematician friend.
In 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal, the
Annals of Physics. The first was immediately acknowledged, and the
University of Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other
papers helped to develop modern physics and earned him the reputation
of an artist. Many scientists have said that Einstein's work contained
an imaginative spirit that was seen in most poetry. His work at this
time dealt with molecules, and how their motion affected temperature,
but he is most well known for his Special Theory of Relativity which
tackled motion and the speed of light. Perhaps the most important part
of his discoveries was the equation: E= mc2.
After publishing these theories Einstein was promoted at his office.
He remained at the Patents Office for another two years, but his name
was becoming too big among the scientific community. In 1908, Einstein
began teaching party time at the University of Berne, and the following
year, at the age of thirty, he became employed full time by Zurich
University. Einstein was now able to move to Prague with his wife and
two sons, Hans Albert and Eduard. Finally, after being promoted to a
professor, Einstein and his family were able to enjoy a good standard
of living, but the job's main advantage was that it allowed Einstein to
access an enormous library. It was here that he extended his theory and
discussed it with the leading scientists of Europe. In 1912 he chose to
accept a job placing him in high authority at the Federal Institute of
Technology, where he had originally studied. It was not until 1914 that
Einstein was tempted to return to Germany to become research director
of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics.
World War I had a strong effect on Einstein. While the rest of
Germany supported the army, he felt the war was unnecessary, and
disgusting. The new weapons of war which attempted to mass slaughter
people caused him to devote much of his life toward creating peace.
Toward the end of the war Einstein joined a political party that worked
to end the war, and return peace to Europe. In 1916 this party was
outlawed by the government, and Einstein was seen as a traitor.
In that same year, Einstein published his General Theory of
relativity, This result of ten years work revolutionized physics. It
basically stated that the universe had to be thought of as curved, and
told how light was affected by this. The next year, Einstein published
another paper that added that the universe had no boundary, but
actually twisted back on its self.
After the war, many aspects of Einstein's life changed. He divorced
his wife, who had been living in Zurich with the children throughout
the war, and married his cousin Elsa Lowenthal. This led to a renewed
interest in his Jewish roots, and he became an active supporter of
Zionism. Since anti-Semitism was growing in Germany, he quickly became
the target of prejudice. There were many rumors about groups who were
trying to kill Einstein, and he began to travel extensively. The
biggest change, though, was in 1919 when scientist who studied an
eclipse confirmed that his theories were correct.
In 1921, he traveled through Britain and the United States raising
funds for Zionism and lecturing about his theories. He also visited the
battle sites of the war, and urged that Europe renew scientific and
cultural links. He promoted non-patriotic, non-competitive education,
believing that it would prevent war from happening in the future. He
also believed that socialism would help the world achieve peace.
Einstein received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922. He gave all
the money to his ex-wife and children to help with their lives and
education. After another lecture tour, he visited Palestine for the
opening the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He also talked about the
possibilities that Palestine held for the Jewish people. Upon his
return he began to enjoy a calmer life in which he returned to his
original curiosity, religion.
While Einstein was visiting America in 1933 the Nazi party came to
power in Germany. Again he was subject to anti- Semitic attacks, but
this time his house was broken into, and he was publicly considered an
enemy of the nation. It was obvious that he could not return to
Germany, and for the second time he renounced his German citizenship.
During these early years in America he did some research at Princeton,
but did not accomplish much of significance.
In 1939 the second World War began to take form. There was heated
argument during this time over whether the United States should explore
the idea of an atomic bomb. Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt
warning him of the disaster that could occur if the Nazi's developed it
first. Einstein did not participate in the development of the bomb, but
the idea did stem from his equation E=mc2. Just as he knew that the
bomb was under development, he also knew when it was going to be used.
Just before the bomb was dropped on Japan Einstein wrote a letter to
the President begging him not to use this terrible weapon.
The rest of Einstein's life was dedicated to promoting peace. After
the war ended, he declared, "The war is won, but the peace is not." He
wrote many articles and made many speeches calling for a world
government. His fame, at this point, was legendary. People from all
over would write to him for advice, and he would often answer them. He
also continued his scientific research until the day he died. This was
on April 18, 1955. There is no doubt that he was dissatisfied that he
never was able to find the true meaning of existence that he strove for
all his life.
Bibliography
Clark, Ronald W., Einstein - The Life and Times, New York: World Publishing, 1971.
Dank, Milton, Albert Einstein, New York: An Impact Biography, 1920.
Dukas, Helen and Banesh Hoffman, eds., Albert Einstein: The Human Side, Princeton: University Press, 1979.
Einstein, Albert, Carl Seelig, ed., Ideas and Opinions, New York: Bonanza Books, 1954.
"Einstein, Albert." Random House Encyclopedia, Random House Press, 1990 edition.
Hunter, Nigel, Einstein, New York: Bookwright Press, 1987.
Nourse, Dr. Alan E., Universe, Earth, and Atom: The Story of
Physics, New York and Evanston: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1969.
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