Albert Einstein, The Genious And the Enigma, 10 Things You Never Knew About Albert Einstein!

In history, few figures have captivated the world with their brilliance and enigmatic charm, quite like Albert Einstein. Often misunderstood, he defied conventional norms from an early age, shaping his destiny as a maverick thinker and revolutionary scientist.

Still relevant in today’s times, we look into the extraordinary life of this prodigious mind, where scientific genius mingled with political activism and where legends of love affairs and ghostly encounters abound.

From penning his first scientific masterpiece at the tender age of 16 to turning down the presidency of Israel, Einstein’s life brims with fascinating anecdotes and intriguing episodes that reveal the vibrant colours of a genuinely extraordinary existence.

10 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT ALBERT EINSTEIN

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879 and died in Princeton, USA, in 1955. He won the Nobel Prize in 1921 and is considered one of the most groundbreaking scientists of all time, famous for his leading theories of Special Relativity (1905) and General Relativity (1915).

Einstein was not only an important physicist but was also something of an icon of the 20th century, with the famous photo of his wild white hair and tongue sticking out.

Throughout his life, the great thinker gained global fame and admiration but also had his fair share of critics. In 1933 when Einstein said he would never return to Germany, a Berlin newspaper printed a headline saying, ‘Good news from Einstein – he’s not coming back!’.

Einstein’s scholastic journey was an enigma wrapped in brilliance, debunking the myth that he was an unremarkable student. While some dismissively labelled him as a “swot,” one of his schoolteachers prophetically declared that he wouldn’t amount to anything.

Yet, the young prodigy’s insatiable thirst for knowledge and disdain for the status quo would become his most potent assets. Excelling in disciplines like Latin, geometry, and mathematics, Einstein displayed an artistry that extended beyond the realm of science; he was also a masterful violinist, enchanting hearts with the melodies that flowed from his fingers.

Here we look at 10 fascinating facts about the life of Albert Einstein

1. He wrote his first scientific paper when he was 16
At the precocious age of 16, the world caught its first glimpse of Einstein’s unyielding curiosity as he penned his inaugural scientific paper, a brilliant piece titled ‘The Investigation of the State of Aether in Magnetic Fields.’ Little did the world know that this humble beginning marked the inception of a scientific revolution that would forever alter our understanding of the universe.

 

2. A lasting friendship with Robert Oppenheimer, the ‘father of the atom bomb.’

Einstein’s intellectual orbit expanded to encompass companionship with none other than the enigmatic ‘father of the atom bomb,’ the American Sceintist Robert Oppenheimer.

Their camaraderie, seasoned with respect and admiration, spanned decades and ignited rumors about Einstein’s involvement in the creation of the atomic bomb. However, historical records reveal his primary role as a harbinger of caution, warning President Roosevelt about the potential nuclear peril posed by the Nazis.

Though his letter’s impact on the Manhattan Project was debated, Einstein’s deep remorse later revealed a man torn between the dualities of knowledge and conscience, recognizing the potential devastation that nuclear weapons could unleash upon humanity.

In 1939, Einstein sent a letter to US president Franklin Roosevelt warning that the Nazis could develop an atomic bomb and that it would be better if the US beat them to it.
Oppenheimer claimed after the war that the letter had had ‘very little effect’ on the creation of what became known as the Manhattan Project, the American development of the first atomic bomb, and that ‘Einstein himself is really not answerable for all that came later’ (i.e. the creation and deployment of the bombs).

After the war, Einstein nonetheless expressed regret at the letter to Roosevelt, saying: ‘Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in developing an atomic bomb, I would have done nothing.’

Einstein could see the potentially catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons. He once said, ‘I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.’

3. Exploring the tantalizing tales of a possible affair with Marilyn Monroe.

Amidst the scientific luminescence and political fervor, tales of love and mystique encircled Einstein’s aura. Legendary whispers of a liaison with the iconic Marilyn Monroe adorned his legacy. While no direct evidence supports their encounter, Monroe’s admiration for the venerable scientist and her penchant for intellectual pursuits cast a spell of fascination over the speculations.

A popular legend about Einstein is that he had a liaison with Marilyn Monroe. There is no evidence that the two ever met, but Shelley Winters, who shared an apartment with Monroe in the 1940s, claimed that when they compiled a list of fantasy flings, one of the names Monroe jotted down was the ageing physicist.

When Winters mentioned Einstein’s advanced years, she claimed that

Monroe replied, ‘That has nothing to do with it. I hear he’s very healthy.’ Monroe was also said to have had a photo of him on her piano.

Monroe may certainly have been an admirer of Einstein’s intellect, though, if nothing else, as she was an avid reader with a personal library of hundreds of first editions, and her third husband was playwright, Arthur Miller.

4. He was publicly opposed to WWI while living in Berlin
Unafraid to wield the might of his intellect against the folly of nationalism, Einstein openly opposed the horrors of World War I while residing in Berlin. For him, the battlegrounds of politics were as vital as those of equations, and his battle cry against the contagious disease of nationalism echoed through time.

5. The Federal Bureau of Investigations’ extensive file on Einstein.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) opened a file on Einstein in the early 1930s, watching him and gathering information on the academic.

J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI director, was concerned about Einstein’s public activism in the realms of pacificism and other left-leaning causes. Hoover considered Einstein an ‘extreme radical’, and tried unsuccessfully to bar his entry into the United States. The FBI’s colossal casebook on Einstein eventually ran to over 1,400 pages.

6. An invitation to become Israel’s second president after Chaim Weizmann’s death.
Near the end of his life Einstein, the veteran scientist and respected figure was asked to become the second president of Israel. The first president, Chaim Weizmann, with whom Einstein co-founded the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1918, had died in November 1952.

Einstein, who was born into a Jewish family and evaded Nazi persecution by remaining in the US from 1933, reluctantly declined the invitation, saying that he lacked ‘experience and natural aptitude’.

7. Unraveling the story of ‘100 Authors Against Einstein.’
In 1931 a book was published in Germany called 100 Authors Against Einstein.

The work was an attack on Einstein’s scientific theories, but the book was ridiculed at the time (and since) by leading intellectuals as unscientific and an embarrassment. Einstein hit back that if he were wrong then one author would have been enough, not 100!

8. Einstein’s marriage to Elsa Lowenthal, his first cousin.
In 1919, Einstein married his second wife, Elsa Lowenthal. Elsa had been married before and Lowenthal was her married name – her maiden name was in fact, Einstein. This was because she was Albert Einstein’s first cousin.

9. Attending a séance and his skeptical stance on the paranormal.
Einstein once said that even if he saw a ghost, he still wouldn’t believe it. In 1930, while in California, Einstein attended a séance at the house of author Upton Sinclair, conducted by a medium who called himself Nostradamus. Nothing much happened during the séance, an attendee later reported, and Einstein was apparently unmoved by this extrasensory evening.

10. He thought Newton was number one
There is a popular misconception that Einstein’s theories made Isaac Newton’s work redundant. But although Einstein’s theories were vital and revolutionary, they didn’t make Newton’s natural laws obsolete.

As Einstein said himself:
‘No one must think that Newton’s great creation can be overthrown in any real sense by this [Theory of Relativity] or by any other theory. His clear and wide ideas will for ever retain their significance as the foundation on which our modern conceptions of physics have been built.’

 

The Last Bit, The story of Albert Einstein transcends the boundaries of science, blending the hues of genius with the strokes of courage and passion. His life unfolds like a symphony, resonating through the annals of time, beckoning us to revere not only the brilliance of his mind but also the heart that beat with the rhythm of compassion and intellect.

From rebellious youth to world-renowned scientist, from timeless friendships to the mysteries of love and the supernatural, Einstein’s life remains an enduring tale of an extraordinary soul who illuminated the cosmos and forever left an indelible mark on human history.