Einstein's Universe

You could say Albert Einstein was our first pop-star scientist. Early in the 20th century, his two theories of relativity, which proved our perception of the world was far from reality, kicked off his catapult to fame. When a photograph of the 1919 solar eclipse proved that light could bend, as Einstein predicted, that fame only grew. Few in the general public understood his scientific ideas, but they knew they were witnessing brilliance at work. “Einstein’s Universe” brings to life Einstein’s thoughts — not only on science and his times, but also on creativity, children, religion and music. Dozens of quotes from his writings and speeches, paired with images, capture his early life in the late 1870s in Germany, through his time in Zurich and Berlin, to his final 20…

“One must divide one’s time between politics and equations. But our equations are much more important to me, because politics is for the present, while our ‘equations are for eternity.” “In Hitler we have a man with limited intellectual abilities, unfit for any useful work, bursting with envy and bitterness against all of those whom circumstance and nature had favored over him.… He picked up human flotsam on the street and in the taverns and organized them around himself. That’s how he became a politician.”From an unpublished manuscript, 1935 “When people live in a time of maladjustment, when there is tension and disequilibrium, they become unbalanced themselves and then may follow an unbalanced leader.”From a conversation recorded by Algernon Black, fall 1940 “The Germans as an entire people are responsible…

“I was sitting in the patent office in Bern when all of a sudden a thought occurred to me: If a person falls freely, he won’t feel his own weight. I was startled. This simple thought made a deep impression on me. It impelled me toward a theory of gravitation.”From a lecture in Kyoto, Japan, Dec. 14, 1922 “[Planck] was one of the finest people I have ever known… but he really did not understand physics, [because] during the eclipse of 1919 he stayed up all night to see if it would confirm the bending of light by the gravitational field. If he had really understood the general theory of relativity, he would have gone to bed the way I did.”Einstein speaking about renowned physicist Max Planck “Quantum mechanics is…

“It is in fact nothing short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail.” “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle. It was the experience of mystery… that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in…

“I am also looking forward to working on our new studies. You must continue with your research — how proud I will be to have a little Ph.D. for a sweetheart while I remain a totally ordinary person!”To Mileva Maric, Sept. 13, 1900 “How was I ever able to live alone, my little everything? Without you I have no self-confidence, no passion for work, and no enjoyment in life — in short, without you, my life is a void.”To Mileva, Aug. 14, 1900 “I don’t want to lose the children, and I don’t want them to lose me.… After everything that has happened, a friendly relationship with you is out of the question. We shall have a considerate and businesslike relationship. All personal things must be kept to a minimum.……

“When I was young, all I wanted and expected from life was to sit quietly in some corner doing my work without the public paying attention to me. And now see what has become of me.”Quoted in Albert Einstein: Creator and Rebel, by Banesh Hoffman “When a blind beetle crawls over the surface of a curved branch, it doesn’t notice that the track it has covered is indeed curved. I was lucky enough to notice what the beetle didn’t notice.”An answer to son Eduard’s question on why he is so famous, 1922 They cheer me because they all understand me, and they cheer you because no one understands you.Charlie Chaplin, after the premiere of City Lights “Today [due to illness] I stayed in bed and received guests like an old…