Einstein saw a wonder when he was four or five years old: a magnetic compass.
The needle’s northward swing, guided by an invisible force, impressed him.
The compass convinced him that there had to be “something behind things, something deeply hidden.”
Albert – as a Student
Einstein knew, from then on, that he wanted to teach math and Science at a University someday.
The problem was, he wasn’t a very good test-taker and could not get a job at a University because of it.
Rumor has it that he had even failed a Math test, but some people question that because of the way grades were assigned back then.
1905
Albert Einstein develops his Special Theory of Relativity.
He did this while working as a Patent Clerk in Germany.
He wasn’t really even a scientist at the time.
Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity
Relative to who is watching, space and time are transformed near the speed of light: distances appear to stretch; and clocks tick more slowly
Einstein’s theory meant that Newton’s Laws needed to be modified.
Space and time are not absolute – and the universe we live in is not actually the one Newton “discovered.
Einstein in 1905
Einstein uses the idea that light exists as tiny packets, or particles, that we now call photons.
His work anchors the most shocking idea in twentieth century science: we live in a universe built out of tiny bits of energy and matter.
Next, in April and May, Einstein publishes two papers.
In one he invents a new method of counting and determining the size of the atoms or molecules in a given space.
In the other he explains the phenomenon of Brownian motion.
The net result is a proof that atoms actually exist – still an issue at that time.
And then, in June, Einstein completes special relativity – which adds a twist to the story: special relativity sees light as particles and a continuous field of waves.
And of course, Einstein isn’t finished. Later in 1905 comes the most famous relationship in physics: e=mc2.
The energy content of a body is equal to the mass of the body times the speed of light squared.
At first, even Einstein does not understand the full implications of his formula.
In 1907, Einstein begins to apply the laws of gravity to his Special Theory of Relativity.
In 1911, he finally gets a job as a Professor of Physics at the German University.
1910-1913
In 1910, Einstein addressed a basic question: “Why is the sky blue?” He approached the problem by looking at the effect of the scattering of light by individual molecules in the atmosphere.
In 1913, Einstein begins work on his new Theory of Gravity.
1933
Einstein and his wife, Elsa, escape Nazi Germany and set sail for the United States.
1939
World War II begins.
Einstein writes a now famous letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt urging nuclear research and warning him of Germany’s building of an atomic bomb.
April 18, 1955
Albert Einstein dies of Heart Failure.
This is a picture of his last blackboard.
Famous Einstein Quotes
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
“If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut.”
