Albert Einstein
Physicist
1879 -1955
 Imagination is more important than knowledge.
—Albert
Einstein
Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Wurttemberg, Germany. Einstein contributed more than any other scientist since Sir Isaac Newton to our understanding of physical reality.
Einstein worked at the patent office in Bern, Switzerland from 1902
to 1909. During this period he completed an astonishing range of theoretical physics publications, written in his spare time, without the benefit of close contact with scientific literature or colleagues.
The
most well known of these works is Einstein's 1905 paper proposing "the special theory of relativity." He based his new theory
on the principle that the laws of physics are in the same form in any frame of reference. As a second fundamental hypothesis, Einstein assumed that the speed of light
remained constant in all frames of reference.
Later in 1905 Einstein showed how mass and energy were equivalent expressing it in the famous equation: E=mc2 (energy equals mass times the velocity of light squared). This
equation became a cornerstone in the development of nuclear energy.
Einstein received the Nobel Prize in 1921 but not for relativity, rather for his 1905 work on the photoelectric effect. He worked on at Princeton
until the end of his life on an attempt to unify the laws of physics.
 Resources
Other Physicists/Scientists in the Lucidcafé Library
Albert Einstein Quotes
"It is best, it seems to me, to separate one's inner striving from one's trade as far as possible. It is not good when
one's daily break is tied to God's special blessing." -- Albert Einstein
"It may affront the military-minded person to suggest a reqime that does not maintain any military secrets." -- Albert
Einstein
"It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense; it would be without meaning, as
if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure." -- Albert Einstein
"So long as they don't get violent, I want to let everyone say what they wish, for I myself have always said exactly what
pleased me." -- Albert Einstein
"Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty." -- Albert Einstein
"Gravity cannot be held responsible for people falling in love." -- Albert Einstein
Thanks to Rick Burress <rburress@home.com>
"When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it
seems like two hours that's relativity." -- Albert Einstein
Thanks to Glen E Kelly <kelly@jetlink.net>
"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake,
scince for him the spinal cord would fully suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism
at command, senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance, how violently I hate all this, how despiceable an ignoreable
war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action! It is my conviction that killing under the cloak
of war is nothing but an act of murder." -- Albert Einstein
Thanks to Alexander Elsing <else@neuss.netsurf.de>
"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; as far as they are certain, they do not refer
to reality."--Albert Einstein
Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing. -- Albert Einstein
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
- Albert Einstein
"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
- Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein, when asked to describe radio, replied:
"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat.
You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the
same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."
God doesn't play dice.
-- Albert Einstein
God may be subtle, but He isn't plain mean. -- Albert Einstein
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." --
Albert Einstein
If A equals success, then the formula is _ A = _ X + _ Y + _ Z. _ X is work. _ Y is play. _ Z is keep your mouth shut.
-- Albert Einstein
"If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith."
-- Albert Einstein
Man usually avoids attributing cleverness to somebody else
-- unless it is an enemy.
-- Albert Einstein
The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax. -- Albert Einstein
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." --Albert Einstein
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts." --Albert Einstein
"I never think of the future. It comes soon enough." --Albert Einstein
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." --Albert Einstein
"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an
existing one." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is
a miracle." --A. Einstein
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does
not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence." --Einstein, Albert
"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary.
Man would indeeded be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." --Einstein,
Albert
"What really interests me is whether God had any choice in the creation of the world." --Albert Einstein
"If one studies too zealously, one easily loses his pants." --Albert Einstein
Through the release of atomic energy, our generation has brought into the world the most revolutionary force since prehistoric
man's discovery of fire. This basic force of the universe cannot be fitted into the outmoded concept of narrow nationalisms.
For
there is no secret and there is no defense; there is no possibility of control except through the aroused understanding and
insistence of the peoples of the world. We scientists recognise our inescapable responsibility to carry to our fellow citizens
an understanding of atomic energy and its implication for society. In this lies our only security and our only hope - we believe
that an informed citizenry will act for life and not for death.
A. Einstein, 1947 d.C.
If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.
Albert Einstein – Biography
 Albert Einstein was born at Ulm, in Württemberg, Germany, on March 14, 1879. Six weeks later the family moved to Munich
and he began his schooling there at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Later, they moved to Italy and Albert continued his education
at Aarau, Switzerland and in 1896 he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a teacher in
physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year he gained his diploma, he acquired Swiss citizenship and, as he was unable to find
a teaching post, he accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905 he obtained his doctor's
degree.
During his stay at the Patent Office, and in his spare time, he produced much of his remarkable work and in
1908 he was appointed Privatdozent in Berne. In 1909 he became Professor Extraordinary at Zurich, in 1911 Professor of Theoretical
Physics at Prague, returning to Zurich in the following year to fill a similar post. In 1914 he was appointed Director of
the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor in the University of Berlin. He became a German citizen in 1914 and remained
in Berlin until 1933 when he renounced his citizenship for political reasons and emigrated to America to take the position
of Professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton*. He became a United States citizen in 1940 and retired from his post in 1945.
After World War II, Einstein was a leading
figure in the World Government Movement, he was offered the Presidency of the State of Israel, which he declined, and he collaborated
with Dr. Chaim Weizmann in establishing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Einstein always appeared to have a clear
view of the problems of physics and the determination to solve them. He had a strategy of his own and was able to visualize
the main stages on the way to his goal. He regarded his major achievements as mere stepping-stones for the next advance.
At
the start of his scientific work, Einstein realized the inadequacies of Newtonian mechanics and his special theory of relativity
stemmed from an attempt to reconcile the laws of mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. He dealt with classical
problems of statistical mechanics and problems in which they were merged with quantum theory: this led to an explanation of
the Brownian movement of molecules. He investigated the thermal properties of light with a low radiation density and his observations
laid the foundation of the photon theory of light.
In his early days in Berlin, Einstein postulated that the correct
interpretation of the special theory of relativity must also furnish a theory of gravitation and in 1916 he published his
paper on the general theory of relativity. During this time he also contributed to the problems of the theory of radiation
and statistical mechanics.
In the 1920's, Einstein embarked on the construction of unified field theories, although
he continued to work on the probabilistic interpretation of quantum theory, and he persevered with this work in America. He
contributed to statistical mechanics by his development of the quantum theory of a monatomic gas and he has also accomplished
valuable work in connection with atomic transition probabilities and relativistic cosmology.
After his retirement he
continued to work towards the unification of the basic concepts of physics, taking the opposite approach, geometrisation,
to the majority of physicists.
Einstein's researches are, of course, well chronicled and his more important works include
Special Theory of Relativity (1905), Relativity (English translations, 1920 and 1950), General Theory of
Relativity (1916), Investigations on Theory of Brownian Movement (1926), and The Evolution of Physics (1938).
Among his non-scientific works, About Zionism (1930), Why War? (1933), My Philosophy (1934), and Out
of My Later Years (1950) are perhaps the most important.
Albert Einstein received honorary doctorate degrees in
science, medicine and philosophy from many European and American universities. During the 1920's he lectured in Europe, America
and the Far East and he was awarded Fellowships or Memberships of all the leading scientific academies throughout the world.
He gained numerous awards in recognition of his work, including the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London in 1925, and
the Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1935.
Einstein's gifts inevitably resulted in his dwelling much in
intellectual solitude and, for relaxation, music played an important part in his life. He married Mileva Maric in 1903 and
they had a daughter and two sons; their marriage was dissolved in 1919 and in the same year he married his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal,
who died in 1936. He died on April 18, 1955 at Princeton, New Jersey.
From Nobel Lectures, Physics 1901-1921, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1967
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and later published
in the book series Les Prix Nobel/Nobel Lectures. The information is sometimes updated with an addendum submitted by the Laureate. To cite this document, always state
the source as shown above.
* Albert Einstein was formally associated with the Institute for Advanced Study located in Princeton, New Jersey.
Albert Einstein works diligently in his basement
his piece of chalk moves swiftly across the chalkboard
jotting down equations and formulas and the question remains
what secrets of the universe will be unlocked tonight?
but we’ll have to wait for the Master to give us the key
we’ll have to wait for him to go on an infinite search
through his mind to find the key to find the answer
the Master looks everywhere and finally finds the key
the Master inserts the key and in an instant there are endless
possibilities - fantasy becomes reality and dreams are
no longer just images and the way we think of light, sound and
space is changed forever!
By Mac Low
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