Fun Facts about Einstein

Facts on Albert Einstein you’ve always wanted to know.

Amongst the greatest individuals that emerged during the past centuries and made a huge impact on the way we live now is the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics awardee, Dr. Albert Einstein. The most “earth-moving” thing that he did was the “Theory of Relativity”. His works triggered not just mere hush but a loud yell that made a huge difference in the world of Physics and the other branches of Science as well. What really made Einstein different from other scientists of his time? What were the things in his mind that made the difference? If we are to look at the subject at hand, a technical, scientific and serious discussion might be in the works. But there are of course, a bit of the lighter side to this seemingly academic icon. And that’s what we are going to find out next!

1. Biography.

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany in March 14, 1879. Approximately six weeks after Baby Albert was born, his father (Hermann Einstein) and mother (Pauline Einstein), decided to move to Munich. Albert began schooling at Luitpold Gymnasium. His short and early scholarly stint there was cut short as his family moved to Switzerland. It was there that he was able to continue his studies. In Zurich, he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School to train as a teacher in physics and mathematics. It was in 1901 that he finished his training and gained a diploma. He likewise acquired Swiss citizenship on that same year. But did you know that his first job was not a teacher? His first job was actually a technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. He was able to continue his academic prowess as he was able to receive his doctor’s degree in 1905.

It was during his spare time and coffee breaks in the Patent Office that he was able to muster his brilliant works. He was later given the “Privantdozentship” (a title given to people with academic excellence and has proven it by formulating a series of likewise academic works. This is much similar to that of a doctorate degree to some extent. After this prestigious feat of our genius came his rather busy schedule. He later (1909) became a Professor Extraordinary at Zurich, a Theoretical Physics professor in Prague (1911), Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute’s Director and a Professor in the University of Berlin (1914) and still had his free time to check his e-mails (that last one’s not included…)

Berlin was his home until 1933 as he became a German citizen in 1914. He later renounced his citizenship and went to the US to accept a teaching stint. He took the position as a Theoretical Physics professor at Princeton, New Jersey. He later became US citizen in 1940 and was able to give up and retire from his job in 1945.

2. Works

Albert Einstein was always rewarded for his excellent academic contributions in the field of theoretical physics. It was his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect that gained him the Nobel Prize. The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon which states that certain amount of electrons are emitted from a matter when light shines upon it. Einstein further explained these events by stating that light itself consists of small particles called photons that has energy that is equivalent to light’s frequency.

Although it may then sound absurd, the practicality of the photoelectric effect that Einstein did is now can be seen in our daily lives. A classic example of this is the Photosynthesis which acts as fertilizers where sunlight is absorbed by plants to make them grow. Said effect is also used in photodiodes that are in the same manner used in telecommunications, fibre optics, solar cells and other various applications.

Aside from having to theorize the photoelectric effect, Albert Einstein is also well known for other physics stuffs such as the Brownian motion, the special theory of relativity and the ever so-famous, (E=mc2) – equivalence of matter and energy. To complement his 1905 special theory of relativity, he further made his general theory of relativity that was published in 1915.

3. Other fun facts.

Young Albert.

• He was born with a large head that his mother thought that it was deformed

• Kid Albert had one younger sister, Maja, which he considered as his only friend during childhood.

• Kid Albert thought of Maja as a toy and even asked his parents upon seeing her: “Yes, but where does it have its small wheels?”

• He was always thought to have speech problems when he was a kid. He seldom speaks and when he does, his words are uttered in a slow manner

• He was not able to speak normally until he was nine years old and was before feared to be a retard.

• Because of this, the brilliant people who developed their speech late in childhood were then coined the “Einstein Syndrome”

• It was a compass that his father showed him that grabbed his interest in science

• He was able to pass the science and mathematics portions of his university entrance exams in 1895, but failed in the rest and had to go to a trade school in order for him to retake the exam that he failed on.

Family Man

• He had a secret child before he settled down. It was a girl from his fellow former student Mileva Marić whom he later married.

• Despite his “relaxed” schedule, Albert Einstein managed to raise his own family. He married Mileva Marić and had three (3) children - Lieserl, Hans Albert and Eduard

• Little is known from his first child whom experts only knew as Lieserl from Einstein’s letters to his wife. Some historians say that Lieserl was born during the time that Einstein was in Berne. The baby girl was believed to have been Christianized but her official name remains unknown. Accounts of the daughter of Albert are still unclear up to this date. Some say that she was born with mental problems and lived with her mother’s family, some say that she died because of a disease in 1903 and some accounts say that she was put up for adoption after birth.

• With the way Albert Einstein focus on his extraordinary works in science and physics, his family suffered in a way or another. Since he was always away from home, he later became estranged to his wife. Albert had his way of patching up things such as the odd contract that he gave to his wife. Some of these conditions that his wife would have to abide by in living together were: “… make sure that my clothes and laundry are kept in order.” There is also a condition to stop talking to him if he requests it. This contract according to Einstein was purely business and that their personal relationship and attachment to one another should be reduced and minimized. (That’s rude, isn’t it gals?)

• It was not only his wife who suffered Einstein’s rather rude domestic actuations. His eldest son Hans was also a victim. Because of their divorce, Hans greatly blamed his father for what had happened. One of his reasons was on what Albert did when he got the Nobel Prize and the money. Albert gave access to the money to his wife but only on the interest and not to the amount itself. Albert also amplified the feud by strongly objecting to Hans marrying an “unattractive woman” (to Albert’s eyes, obviously). He further asked Hans not to have children as divorce will be harder. Hans strongly suffered till the end as Albert left him with very little inheritance.

• One of Mileva’s (Einstein’s wife) reasons for calling it quits with Albert was of the latter’s infidelity. Do you know that Albert Einstein married his own cousin after his break-up with Mileva? He married Elsa Lowenthal and even considered also marrying Elsa’s daughter. It’s just that the daughter (Ilse) only treated Albert as a father, enough reason for not pursuing his Valentino acts on the young lad.

• Albert’s being a “lover boy” was clearly seen from his various letters that were later released by some historians and autobiographers. Some of the victims of his “moonlighting escapades” were his secretary and six other women during his marriage with Elsa. Albert himself identified them as Estella, Ethel (he seems to like the letter “E” a lot), Toni, Margarita, and the mysterious “L” and “M”.

• It was always a great day when Albert was with his second wife Elsa as they were always seen to predict a picture of a happy couple. They were both seen touring together well-dressed. It was after Elsa died that Albert almost forgot about himself to the point of forming the truth among followers that he doesn’t anymore change his clothing. This sad part in his life made him wear a number, and not the same, of shirt with almost the same in color. He then disliked the wearing of suits and was often seen wearing sandals, a way too short to expect on a well-celebrated physics professor like him.

Et. Al.

• Einstein did not receive a Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity.

• One of the reasons why Einstein left for the US is because of Hitler’s popularity

• He was unsuccessful all his career in trying to find a unified field theory

• Discovered in 1952, the element Einsteinuim was name in honor of him

• Wrote a letter to President Roosevelt stating the possibility of the Germans working on a powerful bomb using the chain reactions from the element uranium

And lastly, he was then offered the Presidency of Israel. He declined and later established the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Will there be anymore of his kind? The same may take a long time according to some experts as the field now is largely different.