Albert Einstein was born in Ulm Wurttemberg, Germany in 1878. He died at age 76 in 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey. Einstein was a normal kid in terms of socio-economic status and was involved in music lessons for violin and piano. He carried these two passions throughout his entire life. "As a child, Einstein revealed an extraordinary curiosity for understanding the mysteries of science (as young as age 10)"
Einstein was a Jewish man, but became an American citizen in 1940 shortly after visiting the U.S in 1933. His first wife, Mileva Maric and him had two biological sons Hans and Eduard. It is also said to be true that they had a daughter whom was possibly adopted by the name of Lieseri. The information of their daughter is still to this day inconclusive. Einstein and Mileva divorced when he moved to the U.S. and he remarried but his second wife became ill and passed away.
Einstein was beyond intelligent. In his lifetime he produced over 300 papers on scientific topics with an additional 150 papers that were non-scientific. "Einstein's intellectual achievements and originality have made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius"
Einstein was a Jewish man, but became an American citizen in 1940 shortly after visiting the U.S in 1933. His first wife, Mileva Maric and him had two biological sons Hans and Eduard. It is also said to be true that they had a daughter whom was possibly adopted by the name of Lieseri. The information of their daughter is still to this day inconclusive. Einstein and Mileva divorced when he moved to the U.S. and he remarried but his second wife became ill and passed away.
Einstein was beyond intelligent. In his lifetime he produced over 300 papers on scientific topics with an additional 150 papers that were non-scientific. "Einstein's intellectual achievements and originality have made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius"
"All of science is nothing more than refinement of everyday thinking" -Albert Einstein, Quote in interview by G.S. Viereck, 1929
The Equivalence of Energy and Matter
In his paper on matter and energy, Einstein deduced the well-known equation E=mc2, suggesting that tiny particles of matter could be concerted into huge amounts of energy, foreshadowing the development of nuclear power (biography.com). The Theory of Special relativity that showed the increased relativistic mass (m) of a body comes from the energy of motion of the body, that is, its kinetic energy (E) divided by the speed of light squared (c2). This equation expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other (encyclopedia Britannic, Inc., 2015). This discovery also proves his mathematical virtue of curiosity. He questioned matter and energy, two complex forces, yet concepts that were simply understood by the majority of the world.
The Theory of Relativity
Although the concept of relativity was not introduced by Einstein, his major contribution was the recognition that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant and an absolute physical boundary for motion. In November 1915, Einstein completed the general theory of relativity, which he considered his masterpiece. This theory accurately predicted the perihelion of Mercury's orbit around the sun, which fell short in Newton's theory. General relativity theory also predicted a measurable deflection of light around the sun when a planet or another sun orbited near the sun (bibliography.com).
His equations predicted that the universe is dynamic, ever expanding or contracting. This contradicted the prevailing view that the universe was static, a view that Einstein held earlier and was a guiding factor in his development of the general theory of relativity. The theory of relativity states that objects will move slower and shorten in length from the point of view of an observer on Earth. When Einstein applied his theory to gravitational fields, he derived the " curved space-time continuum" which depicts the dimensions of space and time as a two-dimensional surface where massive objects create valleys and dips in the surface. This aspect of relativity explained the phenomena of light bending around the sun, predicted black holes, and the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
The Special Theory of Relativity came first, which essentially deals with the question of whether rest and motion are relative or absolute, and with the consequences of Einstein's conjecture that they are relative. After this, came the General Theory of radical revision of Newton's theory, predicting important new results for fast-moving and/or very massive bodies. The General Theory of Relativity correctly reproduces all validated predictions of Newton's theory, but expands on our understanding of some of the key principles. Newtonian physics had previously hypothesized that gravity operated through empty space, but the theory lacked explanatory power as far as how the distance and mass of a given object could be transmitted through space. General relativity irons out this paradox, because it shows that objects will continue to move in a straight line in space-time, but we observe the motion as acceleration of the curved nature of space-time (All About Science, 2002).
The Photoelectric Effect
The photoelectric effect is the discovery of current starting by light. What this means is that for example, if light shines on a metal surface, electrons will be released. This is known because we know that light is made of electromagnetic waves that carry energy and when a wave hits the metal, it is assumed that there is enough energy in that process for the electron to be released. What Einstein discovered, was that light acts as isolated particles not as one whole wave. This is important because the particles of light in scientific terms, “light quanta” each carry their own specific amount or, “quantum” of energy. Einstein did not discover this concept but rather meticulously studied it and he was the first one to do so. His curiosity of this subject matter lead him to study other scientists theories to develop his own proposal, such that, “energy, including light, is granular” (Darling). His work was much overlooked because of his discovery of relativity, but according to David Darling, “The early quantum pioneering by Einstein now seems almost entirely overshadowed by his work on relativity, but it was instrumental at the time in persuading scientists of the validity of quantum theory when applied to matter.” What set Einstein apart from the scientist that proved the quantum theory to work is that he explained why. Millikan showed that it did work but had nothing to do with why the equation worked whereas Einstein was the validity of the equation. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921 for the discovery of “The Law of the Photoelectric Effect.”
The Brownian Motion
Einstein published a paper in 1905 that solidified that atoms and molecules exist. His paper was an explanation of Robert Brown’s transport phenomenon. This phenomenon stated that the random motion of particles suspended in a fluid resulting from colliding with other molecules or atoms in the liquid/gas. What Brownian motion in kindergarten terms means that the random movement of particles is explained by particle theory. Einstein confirmed that the motion that Brown had discovered was a result of water molecules moving pollen. In studying the Brownian motion theory, Einstein discovered the weight of an atom, how many atoms are in a mole (a physics term), and the molecular weight of gas. A very complicated formula was derived from his findings but overall what is important is that Einstein always took things to a new level. He did not just stop at proving theories, he studied, tested, and explained them.
Both of these findings distinctly fit the definition of curiosity. Rather than accepting the theories and ideas found by other scientists, Einstein took the ideas and ran with them. He spent various hours experimenting and stringing together ideas to come up with explanations for why these theories work. He was an extraordinaire at exceeding the limits. He was exceptionally smart and they still to this day wonder what it was that set Einstein apart from the rest of the world. He truly was a genius.
Both of these findings distinctly fit the definition of curiosity. Rather than accepting the theories and ideas found by other scientists, Einstein took the ideas and ran with them. He spent various hours experimenting and stringing together ideas to come up with explanations for why these theories work. He was an extraordinaire at exceeding the limits. He was exceptionally smart and they still to this day wonder what it was that set Einstein apart from the rest of the world. He truly was a genius.
"I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious" -Albert Einstein