Untitled Essay, Research Paper
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 marvelled 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.BibliographyClark, 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.