FREE ESSAY ON ALBERT EINSTIEN

ALBERT EINSTIEN

Of all the scientists to emerge from the twentieth centuries there is one whose name is
known by almost all living people. While most of these do not understand this man's work,
everyone knows that its impact on the world of science is astonishing. Yes, many have
heard of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, but few know about the
intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called, "The greatest
single achievement of human thought." Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14,
1879. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where Albert's father,
Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical business. He was fortunate to
have an excellent family with which he held a strong relationship. Albert's mother,
Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for music and literature, and it was she that
first introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and relaxation. Also,
he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and they could often be found in the
lakes that were scattered about the countryside near Munich. As a child, Einstein's sense
of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy if his was his father's compass
and he often marveled at his uncle's explanations of algebra. Although young Albert was
intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow learner. His failure
to become fluent in German until the age of nine even led some teachers to believe he was
disabled. Einstein's post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was
ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit through the school's strict
disciplinary policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as
a rebel. It was probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge
at home. He began not with science, but with religion. He avidly studied the Bible
seeking truth, but this religious fervor soon died down when he discovered the intrigue
of science and math. To him, these seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With
this new knowledge he disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from Luitpold
Gymnasium, being considered a disruptive influence. Feeling that he could no longer deal
with the German mentality, Einstein moved to Switzerland where he continued his
education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute of Technology, but
failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study locally for one year until he finally
passed the school's evaluation. The Institute allowed Einstein to meet many other
students that shared his curiosity, and it was here that his studies turned mainly to
Physics. He quickly learned that while physicists had generally agreed on major
principles in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to disprove
outdated theories. Since most of Einstein's teachers ignored these new ideas, he was
again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he graduated from the Institute and then
achieved citizenship to Switzerland. Einstein became a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office
in 1902. This job had little to do with physics, but he was able to satiate his curiosity
by figuring out how new inventions worked. The most important part of Einstein's
occupation was that it allowed him enough time to pursue his own line of research. As his
ideas began to develop, he published them in specialist journals. Though he was still
unknown to the scientific world, he began to attract a large circle of friends and
admirers. A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed into a social club that
shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science. In 1903, he married Mileva Maric,
a mathematician friend. In 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal,
the Annals of Physics. The first was immediately acknowledged, and the University of
Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other papers helped to develop modern
physics and earned him the reputation of an artist. Many scientists have said that
Einstein's work contained an imaginative spirit that was seen in most poetry. His work at
this time dealt with molecules, and how their motion affected temperature, but he is most
well known for his Special Theory of Relativity, which tackled motion and the speed of
light. By far, the biggest year of Einstein's life was 1905. It is called his "Miracle
Year." Perhaps the most important part of his discoveries was the equation E=mc2 (Energy
equals mass times the velocity of light squared). After publishing these theories,
Einstein was promoted at his office. He remained at the Patents Office for another two
years, but his name was becoming too big among the scientific community. In 1908,
Einstein began teaching part time at the University of Berne, and the following year, at
the age of thirty, he became employed full time by the University of Zurich. Einstein was
now able to move to Prague with his wife and two sons, Hans Albert and Eduard. Finally,
after being promoted to a professor, Einstein and his family were able to enjoy a good
standard of living, but the job's main advantage was that it allowed Einstein to have
access to an enormous library. It was here that he extended his theory and discussed it
with the leading scientists of Europe. In 1912, he chose to accept a job placing him in
high authority at the Federal Institute of Technology, where he had originally studied.
It was not until 1914 that Einstein was tempted to return to Germany to become research
director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics. World War I had a strong effect on
Einstein. While the rest of Germany supported the army, he felt the war was unnecessary
and disgusting. The new weapons of war that attempted to mass slaughter people caused him
to devote much of his life toward creating peace. Toward the end of the war, Einstein
joined a political party worked to end the war, and return peace to Europe. In 1916, the
government outlawed this party, and Einstein was seen as a traitor. In that same year,
Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity. This was the end result of ten years
worth of work. It revolutionized physics. His theory basically stated that the universe
had to be thought of as curved, and told how light was affected by this. The next year,
Einstein published another paper that added that the universe had no boundary, but
actually twisted back on its self. After the war, many aspects of Einstein's life
changed. He divorced his wife who had been living in Zurich with the children throughout
the war, and married his cousin Elsa Lowenthal. This led to a renewed interest in his
Jewish roots, and he became an active supporter of Zionism. Since anti-Semitism was
growing in Germany, he became the target of prejudice. There were many rumors about
groups who were trying to kill Einstein, and he began to travel extensively. The biggest
change, though, was in 1919 when scientists who studied an eclipse confirmed that his
theories were correct. In 1921, he traveled through Britain and the United States raising
funds for Zionism and lecturing about his theories. He also visited the battle sites of
the war and urged that Europe renew scientific and cultural links. He promoted
non-patriotic, non-competitive education believing that it would prevent war from
happening in the future. He also believed that socialism would help the world achieve
peace. Einstein received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922. He gave all the money to
his ex-wife and children to help with their lives and education. After another lecture
tour, he visited Palestine for the opening of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He
talked about the possibilities that Palestine held for the Jewish people. Upon his
return, he began to enjoy a calmer life in which he returned to his original curiosity,
religion. While Einstein was visiting America in 1933, the Nazi party came to power in
Germany. Again he was subject to anti-Semitic attacks, but this time his house was broken
into, and he was publicly considered an enemy of the nation. It was obvious that he could
not return to Germany, and for the second time, he renounced his German citizenship.
During these early years in America he did some research at Princeton, but did not
accomplish much of significance. In 1939, the Second World War started to take shape.
There was heated argument at this time over whether the United States should explore the
idea of an atomic bomb. Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt warning him of the disaster
that could occur if the Nazis developed it first. Einstein did not participate in the
development of the bomb, but the idea did stem from his very famous equation. He figured
that the bomb was under development, but he did not know when it was going to be used.
Right before the bomb was dropped on Japan, Einstein wrote a letter to the President
begging him not to use this terrible weapon. The rest of Einstein's life was dedicated to
promoting peace. As soon as the war was over, he declared, "The war is won, but the peace
is not." He wrote many articles and many speeches calling for a world government. His
fame at this point was legendary. People from all over would write to him for advice, and
he would often answer them. He continued his scientific research until the very day he
died. This was on the sad day of April 18, 1955. There is no doubt in my mind that he was
dissatisfied that he was never able to find the true meaning of existence that he strove
for all his life! 
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