Albert Einstein

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Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
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Albert Einstein, a German-born physicist, produced the theory of relativity, which, alongside quantum theory, became the foundation of modern physics. He was not just interested in developing theories but also explaining them in a language that the average educated man could understand. For that reason, he wrote Relativity: The Special And The General Theory. This book encompassed two theories. These are: Special Theory of Relativity made public in 1905, and General Theory of Relativity of 1915. Einstein works on photons, particularly the discovery of photoelectric effect, won him the Nobel Prize for Physics. The physicist is also known for the Unified field. He was affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Personal life and education

Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Germany and died on April 18, 1955, in Princeton, New Jersey. His father, Hermann Einstein, was a salesman and engineer. In 1880, the family moved to Munich, where Hermann established Elektrotechnische Fabrik J. Einstein & Cie, a company dedicated to producing direct current electrical equipment.

Einstein studied at the Catholic elementary school in Munich. He was transferred to Luitpold Gymnasium, which is today named after him – Albert Einstein Gymnasium. He got his primary and high school education here for seven years. He lived in Switzerland between 1895 and 1914, a time during which he renounced his German citizenship. This made him stateless for 5 years before acquiring Swiss citizenship in 1901.

Einstein received a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich in 1905, the same year that he published four groundbreaking papers. The first paper provided a means to measure molecule size in liquid. The second revolved around determining the movement of liquid molecules. The third introduced the concept of photons, arguing that light travels as packets. The fourth paper was focused on special relativity, whose explanation largely revolved around the speed of light.

World War II

Albert Einstein was actively involved in World War II, not as a military officer but as an academician and expert advisor. On the eve of this war, he endorsed a letter to President Roosevelt. This letter highlighted the destructive nature of atomic bombs, recommending that the United States begin similar research. This paved the way for the Manhattan Project. Even though Einstein supported the Allies, he was against the idea of nuclear fusion as a weapon. He signed the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, which gave deeper insights into the dangers of nuclear weapons.

Works

Albert Einstein published more than 300 scientific papers and over 150 non-scientific publications. One of his non-scientific works is My First Impression of the U.S.A., in which the author attempted to describe life in America after a visit to the White House and several other intellectual corners in the country.

He stands as a revered intellectual, making him synonymous with the word genius. He was often consulted on technical matters and delivered countless speeches, including at Princeton University, and Columbia University.

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