Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein remains one of history's most celebrated figures, a man whose life story reads like an extraordinary collection of scientific breakthroughs, personal eccentricities, and remarkable anecdotes that illuminate both his genius and his deeply human nature. Born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany, Albert Einstein entered the world in dramatic fashion, emerging with what his biographer Denis Brian described as a swollen, misshapen head and grossly overweight body that terrified his grandmother, who screamed Much too fat! Much too fat! upon seeing the infant. This unusual beginning would prove prophetic, as Einstein's entire life would be marked by unconventional moments that challenged expectations at every turn.

Einstein's childhood was filled with incidents that revealed both his intellectual potential and his volatile temperament. The young Albert had an explosive temper that manifested in spectacular tantrums, during which he would hurl objects at anyone within range. His sister Maja, who frequently bore the brunt of these outbursts, later quipped with characteristic wit that it takes a sound skull to be the sister of an intellectual. During these rages, witnesses noted that Einstein's entire face would turn yellow except for the tip of his nose, which turned stark white, creating an almost otherworldly appearance that matched his extraordinary mind. One particularly memorable incident occurred when the five-year-old Einstein became so frustrated with his teacher that he threw a chair at her, demonstrating early on that traditional authority figures would struggle to contain his rebellious spirit.

Contrary to popular mythology that portrays Einstein as a struggling student, the future physicist actually excelled academically from an early age. He mastered differential and integral calculus by age 15, studying mathematics and physics during summer vacations simply for enjoyment. However, his academic success came with a price his disdain for rote learning and rigid educational systems would cause friction throughout his school years. When he took the entrance examination for the prestigious Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich at the remarkably young age of 16, he passed the mathematics and physics sections with flying colors but failed spectacularly in language, zoology, and botany. This selective brilliance would characterize Einstein throughout his life, as he consistently focused his attention only on subjects that genuinely interested him while ignoring everything else.

Einstein's family background played a crucial role in shaping his unconventional approach to life and learning. His father, Hermann Einstein, was an entrepreneur who struggled in the electrical engineering business, while his mother, Pauline, came from a wealthy corn merchant family. The family's frequent relocations due to business difficulties exposed young Albert to different cultures and educational systems, contributing to his lifelong skepticism of rigid institutions. When Einstein was 15, his family moved to Italy, leaving him behind in Germany to complete his education. However, Einstein found the authoritarian German school system so unbearable that he obtained a medical certificate claiming nervous exhaustion and rejoined his family in Milan. This dramatic gesture of rebellion against institutional authority would become a recurring theme throughout his life.

The influence of Einstein's remarkable mother, Pauline, extended far beyond typical maternal care. She recognized her son's exceptional musical abilities and insisted he learn the violin from age six, a decision that would profoundly impact his intellectual development. Einstein himself credited his violin playing with helping him think through complex scientific problems, often retreating to his instrument when he needed to work through particularly challenging concepts. His musical abilities were so accomplished that he could have pursued a professional career as a violinist, and throughout his life he would spontaneously interrupt dinner parties or meetings to play impromptu concerts, explaining to bewildered guests that his brain needed to reset.

Einstein's early romantic life was as unconventional as every other aspect of his existence. At the Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, he met Mileva Maric, a Serbian physics student who was not only intellectually brilliant but also one of the few women studying theoretical physics in Europe. Their relationship developed into an intense intellectual and romantic partnership that challenged all social conventions of the era. Mileva was four years older than Einstein and walked with a pronounced limp due to a congenital hip defect, making their romance even more scandalous by the standards of the time. The couple conducted what amounted to a scientific collaboration, with letters revealing that they referred to relativity theory as our theory and discussed complex physics problems as intellectual equals.

The couple's first child, Lieserl, was born out of wedlock in 1902, a scandalous situation that forced them to give up the daughter for adoption. This tragic loss haunted both parents for the rest of their lives, with historians still debating whether Lieserl died in infancy or was raised by relatives. Einstein and Mileva married in 1903 and had two sons, Hans Albert and Eduard, but their marriage gradually deteriorated as Einstein's career ascended and his treatment of his wife became increasingly callous.

The breakdown of Einstein's first marriage revealed disturbing aspects of his character that contrast sharply with his public image as a humanitarian. In 1914, he presented Mileva with a list of conditions under which he would remain married to her, including demands that she serve him three meals daily in his room, maintain his clothing, and renounce all personal relations with me except when required to keep up social appearances. The document explicitly stated You will expect no affection from me and You are neither to expect intimacy nor to reproach me in any way. This cruel treatment of his wife was compounded by his simultaneous affair with his first cousin, Elsa Lowenthal, whom he had known since childhood.

Einstein's relationship with Elsa represents one of the most bizarre romantic arrangements in scientific history. Not only were they first cousins through both parents their mothers were sisters and their fathers were first cousins they had grown up together as playmates. When Einstein was a child visiting his relatives in Munich, Elsa would affectionately call him Albertle in her Swabian dialect. Their romantic relationship rekindled in 1912 while Einstein was still married to Mileva, and despite the obvious complications of their blood relationship, they married in 1919, just four months after his divorce was finalized.

The marriage to Elsa proved more successful than his first, largely because she understood and accommodated Einstein's eccentricities while managing the practical aspects of his increasingly famous life. Elsa became his gatekeeper, protecting him from unwanted visitors and handling his correspondence, financial affairs, and social obligations. She adapted to his bizarre personal habits, including his lifelong refusal to wear socks, which stemmed from his childhood observation that big toes always end up making holes in socks. Einstein's aversion to socks was so profound that when he couldn't find his sandals, he would wear Elsa's women's shoes rather than put on socks.

Einstein's friendship with Michele Besso represents one of the most important intellectual relationships of his career, though it began in circumstances that would seem almost comically coincidental to modern observers. The two young men met in 1896 when Einstein was living with his family in Milan after leaving German schools. Their families had interconnected social networks through the electricity sector and polytechnic engineering universities, with Besso's uncle, Vittorio Cantoni, being a renowned electrical engineer. This friendship would prove crucial to Einstein's scientific development, as Besso served as his primary intellectual sounding board for decades.

Einstein acknowledged Besso's contribution in his groundbreaking 1905 special relativity paper, writing In conclusion, let me note that my friend and colleague M. Besso steadfastly stood by me in my work on the problem discussed here, and that I am indebted to him for several valuable suggestions. Years later, during an impromptu lecture at Kyoto University in 1922, Einstein recalled By chance, a friend of mine living in Bern helped me through various discussions with him it suddenly dawned on me. Besso himself understood the nature of their collaboration, writing to Einstein in 1947 On my side, I was your public in the years 1904 and 1905; in helping you to edit your communications on the quanta I deprived you of a part of your glory, but, on the other hand, I made a friend for you in Planck.

Another crucial friendship was with Marcel Grossmann, Einstein's former classmate whose lecture notes had helped Einstein pass university examinations when his own attendance was sporadic. Grossmann's father helped Einstein secure his famous position as a patent examiner in the Bern patent office, and later Marcel himself would provide essential mathematical assistance for Einstein's general theory of relativity. Einstein's notebooks from this period show Grossmann's name appearing at every crucial moment, demonstrating that the supposedly solitary genius was actually supported by a network of loyal friends and collaborators.

Einstein's work habits were as unconventional as his personal life. He maintained what appeared to be a completely chaotic office, with papers, tobacco pipes, and coffee cups scattered across every surface, books piled in random stacks, and a small chalkboard covered in incomprehensible scientific symbols. However, this apparent disorder masked a highly disciplined approach to intellectual work. Einstein slept for at least ten hours per night, nearly 50 percent more than the average person, believing that adequate rest was essential for creative thinking. He also took regular naps, allegedly employing a technique where he would hold a spoon over a metal plate while dozing in his armchair; when he fell asleep, the spoon would clatter against the plate and wake him up, ensuring he got rest without falling into deep sleep that might leave him groggy.

Daily walks were sacred to Einstein, who understood intuitively what modern neuroscience has confirmed walking significantly boosts creativity and problem-solving abilities. During his time at Princeton University, he would walk the mile and a half journey between his home and office each day, using this time for contemplation and allowing his mind to wander freely. These constitutional walks weren't merely for exercise; they were an essential component of his creative process, providing the mental space necessary for breakthrough insights.

Einstein's sailing hobby provides perhaps the most amusing insight into his character, as he was a terrible sailor who frequently required rescue from concerned neighbors. Despite his incompetence with boats and his inability to swim, Einstein was passionate about sailing and refused to wear a life jacket. He would often become so absorbed in thinking about physics problems while on the water that he would forget to pay attention to wind conditions or navigate properly, resulting in frequent groundings and capsizings that became legendary among his Princeton neighbors.

The 1952 offer to become President of Israel represents one of the most extraordinary might-have-been moments in both Einstein's life and Israeli history. Following the death of Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion instructed Ambassador Abba Eban to approach Einstein about accepting the largely ceremonial position. The offer was made with considerable trepidation, as Ben-Gurion privately joked to an assistant I've had to offer the post to him because it's impossible not to. But if he accepts, we are in trouble. Einstein's response was characteristically self-aware and humble, as he politely declined, writing I lack both the natural aptitude and the experience to deal properly with people. His refusal to consider the position seriously demonstrated his understanding that his talents lay in scientific research rather than political leadership.

The most bizarre chapter in Einstein's posthumous story involves the theft of his brain by pathologist Thomas Stoltz Harvey. Einstein had left explicit instructions that his body should be cremated and his ashes scattered secretly to prevent his remains from becoming objects of worship. However, when Harvey performed the autopsy on April 18, 1955, at Princeton Hospital, he made an unauthorized decision that would define the rest of his life. Without permission from Einstein's family, Harvey removed the brain, weighing 1,230 grams, which was well within the normal human range.

Harvey's subsequent behavior with Einstein's brain borders on the surreal. He sectioned the preserved brain into 240 pieces, spending three months completing the process, then created 12 sets of microscopic slides with hundreds of slides in each set. For the next 43 years, Harvey carried pieces of Einstein's brain with him as he moved across the United States, storing them in jars, cardboard boxes, and even the trunk of his car. When journalist Steven Levy tracked down Harvey in 1978, he found the pathologist working at a medical testing laboratory in Wichita, Kansas, with portions of history's most famous brain sitting in jars on his desk.

Harvey's obsession with Einstein's brain ultimately destroyed his career and personal life. He lost his position at Princeton Hospital shortly after the unauthorized brain removal and spent decades moving from job to job while carrying his macabre cargo. He distributed tissue samples to researchers around the world, hoping they would discover the anatomical secret of genius, but the studies yielded disappointingly mundane results. Most of Einstein's brain tissue was eventually returned to Princeton University Medical Center, though significant portions remain unaccounted for to this day.

Einstein's relationship with his children was complicated by his demanding career and unconventional lifestyle. His first son, Hans Albert, became a successful engineer and maintained a relatively normal relationship with his father, though he later recalled that his parents continued their scientific collaboration into their marriage, remembering seeing them work together in the evenings at the same table. However, Einstein's relationship with his younger son, Eduard, was tragically affected by the boy's mental illness. Eduard suffered a breakdown at age 20 and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, spending much of his adult life in psychiatric institutions. The financial burden of Eduard's care eventually forced Mileva to sell properties she had purchased with Einstein's Nobel Prize money, creating ongoing tension between the former spouses.

Einstein's political views were as unconventional as his scientific theories and personal habits. Despite being a pacifist by nature, he wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 urging the United States to develop atomic weapons before Nazi Germany could do so. Ironically, when the Manhattan Project was established, Roosevelt considered Einstein's collaboration too much of a security risk and excluded him from the program entirely. This rejection deeply disappointed Einstein, who felt responsible for prompting the creation of weapons he came to regret.

Throughout his later years at Princeton, Einstein became increasingly concerned with unified field theory, attempting to reconcile general relativity with electromagnetism in a single mathematical framework. His Princeton colleagues often found him muttering to himself in German as he worked through equations, and he would sometimes stop mid-conversation to scribble formulas on whatever paper was available, including restaurant napkins and the backs of letters. His absent-mindedness became legendary; he once called Princeton University asking for directions to his own house because he had forgotten his address while walking home.

Einstein's fondness for smoking represented another of his many contradictions. He was rarely seen without his pipe and claimed in 1950 that smoking contributed to his calm and objective judgment. When his doctor advised him to give up smoking for health reasons, Einstein compromised by continuing to carry his pipe and chewing on the stem without lighting it, satisfying both his oral fixation and his physician's concerns. This compromise perfectly exemplified his approach to life's dilemmas finding creative solutions that satisfied multiple competing demands.

The great physicist's final years were marked by increasing isolation from mainstream physics as quantum mechanics developed in directions he found philosophically unacceptable. His famous objection that God does not play dice with the universe reflected his deep conviction that physical reality must be deterministic and comprehensible through human reason. This philosophical position put him at odds with younger physicists like Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, leading to increasingly heated debates about the nature of quantum reality that continued until Einstein's death.

Einstein's legacy extends far beyond his scientific contributions to encompass his role as a cultural icon who represented intellectual curiosity, nonconformity, and humanitarian values. His distinctive appearance wild hair, rumpled clothing, and penetrating eyes became synonymous with genius itself, making him perhaps the only scientist whose face is instantly recognizable worldwide. Time Magazine's designation of him as Person of the Century in 1999 reflected not only his scientific achievements but also his broader cultural significance as someone who challenged conventional thinking in every aspect of life.

The enduring fascination with Einstein stems partly from the remarkable contradictions he embodied a man who could comprehend the deepest mysteries of space and time yet forget his own address, a pacifist who helped create the atomic age, a humanitarian who treated his first wife with shocking cruelty, and a scientific genius who believed deeply in the power of imagination and intuition. His life story demonstrates that extraordinary intellectual achievement often comes paired with equally extraordinary personal eccentricities, reminding us that genius manifests in profoundly human ways that both inspire and perplex those who encounter it.

Albert Einstein's death on April 18, 1955, marked the end of an era in both physics and popular culture. His final words, spoken in German to a nurse who didn't understand the language, remain unknown to history, taking with them whatever profound insights might have occupied his thoughts in those last moments. However, his influence on human understanding of the universe continues to expand, with his theories providing the foundation for technologies ranging from GPS satellites to particle accelerators, ensuring that his intellectual legacy will endure as long as humanity continues to seek answers to the fundamental questions of existence.