Genius Albert Einstein - My Hero

Happy HNT! Albert & Me discussing his special theory of relativity while enjoying

the display about the Universe at the Griffith Observatory.

Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is widely considered to have been one of the greatest physicists of all time. While best known for the theory of relativity (and specifically mass-energy equivalence, E=mc²), he was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics “for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.”

Published Works in 1905: His paper on electrodynamics of moving bodies proposed the radical theory of special relativity, which showed that if the speed of light is the same when measured by any observer no matter how they are moving, then real physical consequences must follow — e.g., clocks slow down and rulers contract when in motion, thus requiring fundamental changes to the notion of simultaneity. This

In his paper on the equivalence of matter and energy (previously considered to be distinct concepts), Einstein deduced from his equations of special relativity what would later become the most famous expression in all of science: E=mc², suggesting that tiny amounts of mass could be converted into huge amounts of energy.

His paper on the particulate nature of light put forward the idea that certain experimental results, notably the photoelectric effect, could be simply understood from the postulate that light interacts with matter as discrete "packets" (quanta) of energy, an idea that had been introduced by Max Planck in 1900 as a purely mathematical manipulation, and which seemed to contradict contemporary wave theories of light. This was the only work of Einstein's that he himself pronounced as "revolutionary". This is what is know as quantum physics.

His paper on Brownian motion explained the random movement of very small objects as direct evidence of molecular action, thus supporting the atomic theory.

All four papers are today recognized as tremendous achievements—and hence 1905 is known as Einstein's "Wonderful Year".

A bronze Statue of Einstein at the Griffith Observatory.
Young Albert before the Einsteins moved from Germany to Italy.
In 1999, Albert Einstein was named "Person of the Century" by Time magazine.
A 5 Israeli pound note from 1968 with the portrait of Einstein.

For more biographical information go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein

Quotable Notions: Einstein is almost as famous for his quotes as he is for his scientific research and theories. This is one of my favorites:

"Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity."