Albert Einstein: The Genius Who Changed Physics
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) is synonymous with genius. His theories revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
Early Life
- Born in Ulm, Germany, to a middle-class Jewish family
- Struggled in rigid German schools
- Showed early talent for mathematics and physics
- Failed to get academic positions after graduation
The Miracle Year (1905)
Working as a patent clerk in Bern, 26-year-old Einstein published four groundbreaking papers:
- Photoelectric effect: Light comes in packets (photons) — foundation of quantum mechanics
- Brownian motion: Proved atoms exist
- Special relativity: Time and space are relative; E=mc²
- Mass-energy equivalence: Matter and energy are interchangeable
Any one of these would have made him famous. Together, they transformed physics.
General Relativity (1915)
Einstein's masterpiece: gravity is not a force but the curvature of spacetime caused by mass.
- Light bends around massive objects (confirmed 1919)
- Time passes slower in stronger gravity (confirmed repeatedly)
- Gravitational waves (detected 2015)
Later Life
- Fled Nazi Germany in 1933
- Settled at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study
- Warned Roosevelt about atomic weapons potential
- Spent decades seeking a unified field theory (unsuccessful)
- Became a cultural icon of intellect
Einstein's Personality
- Wild hair and disheveled appearance
- Sailing (badly) and playing violin
- Pacifism and civil rights advocacy
- Witty quotations
Legacy
Einstein didn't just solve problems — he changed how we see reality. Space and time are flexible. Mass and energy are equivalent. Gravity bends light.
Related Reading
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Explore Einstein's life in Albert Einstein: Genius, Rebel, Icon.