Albert Einstein :
Albert Einstein was a german-born theoretical physicist who was the main pillar of physics and science. He was born on 14 March 1879 in Ulm, Germany. He majorly developed the special and general Theory of Relativity between the period 1907 to 1915 and other quantum theories. Einstein also majored in philosophy and wrote quite a number of books based on his theories and philosophical knowledge. A few of his famous books include-
- Relativity : the special and the general theory.
- The world as i see it.
- Ideas and opinions.
- The Evolution of Physics.
- Letters to Solovin.
The books written by him mainly focus on the scientific theories developed by him or the philosophy. Philosophical books written by him are motivational and guide you to take the right path in life.
He also won a Nobel prize in 1921 for physics and for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
The success story of Albert Einstein:
- Childhood
Like any other person, Albert Einstein also was from a middle-class family. His father (Hermann Einstein) and his mother ( Pauline Koch) were secular, middle-class Jews. He was a moderately successful salesman who then opened an electrochemical factory.
His mother looked after the household. His sister Maria was born two years after Einstein. He was a great believer of religion and even chanted religious songs in praise of God until he encountered the science books which changed his beliefs.
He stated that he had two “wonders”. The two wonders made him question science and physics. The first wonder was when he was only 5 years old. He encountered a compass at that age and was fascinated how a needle could deflect and show directions. The second wonder was when he was 12 years old and came across the books of geometry. He called it “the sacred little books of geometry”.
At the age of 12, he became a religious person and also composed several songs in the praise of God and chanted them on the way to school. Even as a child he was a brilliant student and yet one of the teachers discouraged him by saying that he would never amount to anything. This did not discourage him. His religious beliefs started contradicting the science books he came across.
He took another interest in a medical student (Max Talmud) who used to regularly dine at the Einstein home. He introduced Einstein to advanced mathematics and physics at an early age.
Einstein stated that he adored playing violin. If not for physics he would have been a musician.
Einstein wrote his first scientific paper at a very young age which was based on magnetic fields. He questioned the existence of a light wave : if we were to run alongside a light wave what would it look like? And he knew that stationary light beams were not to be seen.
His education was discontinuous due to his father’s business. He later went to boarding school to continue his education while his parents were away. Soon he became a school dropout and his performance was not really promising. But his sheer will to learn about science and physics and the knowledge he had at such a young age was what made him a successful physicist.
In the early 1911 he was able to apply to the Eidgenössische Polytechnische provided he completed his formal schooling.
Journey to success :
In the year 1901, Einstein faced the greatest crisis of his life. One of his professors did not give him a letter of recommendation. This was due to the fact that he learned advanced physics and mathematics all by himself and missed classes which led him to miss many classes. It earned him the animosity of many professors.
His father’s business was also going bankrupt. He was at a low point in his life. There was a turning point in life when one of his father’s friends recommended him the position of a clerk. He always kept his life simple and followed a simple motto: Never stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
As he studied more about Maxwell’s equation and light, he came to know that it contradicts Newton’s laws of motion. This led him to formulate the theory of relativity. Einstein stated that “the speed of light is constant in any inertial frame”.
He also published several research papers, gave lectures about his theories in universities.
Einstein explained his theory of E=mc2 in various International conferences. With progression in his career, he saw his marriage fall apart. It took him 9 years to get a job in academia.
How he attained fame overnight:
Einstein quoted in his general theory of relativity that Earth’s gravitational fields cause a deflection in fabric space and time. During the solar eclipse, an English Astronomer proved that the sun causes a distortion in the light rays by 1.7 arc seconds. Which Einstein predicted in his Theory of Relativity.
This news made Einstein an overnight celebrity. And hence Einstein attained fame for proving the general theory of relativity.
Einstein had to become the Israeli President. With such humble nature, he declined the position saying that he lacks both natural aptitude and experience to deal with people properly and to exercise official functions. Although he did not believe in tradition and religion, he felt a deep connection to his Jewish heritage.
With all the hardships he was going through, when he left Berlin to the United States in 1933 and took a position in Princeton university, he was being spied by the FBI for years assuming that he was a german spy.
The agents hacked his emails, checked his trash, listened to his phone calls only to find the project being trashed when he died at the age of 76.
Einstein was a genius. His brain was also stolen after his death in an attempt to know all the secrets he hid.
There is nobody who has it easy. There is nobody around the world who has everything. Einstein’s success story gives millions the motivation to achieve something in life. Achieve insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Stay curious. That is the only motto you need in life.
Follow listyourpassion.com to read more about inspirational stories.
Share This:
great