Albert Einstein BY Ryan Dwyer

Brief Biography

Albert Einstein was born on March 14th, 1879, in Ulm, Germany. Einstein wrote that his childhood was greatly affected by two "wonders" he came across: A compass at age five, and a book of Geometry at age twelve. He graduated in 1900, but because he studied advanced topics on his own time, he often skipped classes, earning resentment from some professors. As a result he couldn't find an academic position for work. He job a job in a Swiss patent office. He often got the day's work done in a few hours, and spent the rest of the time daydreaming and experimenting. His findings won him international fame and recognition and a noble prize. He became a professor and taught Physics, his lifelong passion. In 1932 he immigrated to America, and lived here until his death on April 18th, 1955, in Princeton, New Jersey.

Einstein's important ideas

Einstein had many discoveries and created many famous theories in his lifetime. The most well known of these being his creation of the equation E=mc^2, which went with his theory of special relativity, stating that time and space are relative to the observer and that only the speed of light remains constant. He also launched the new science of cosmology, and wrote equations that predicted the universe was either expanding or contracting. He won a nobel prize in 1921 for his work on the photoeletric effect among many other awards and recognitions and he earned the nickname "The successor to Isaac Newton".

How did Einstein present his ideas?

Einstein first started publishing papers in 1905, his "miracle year", but they were originally ignored by the Physics community. Nevertheless he continued to publish data and lab findings he produced, and wrote several books. Part of Einsteins' fame can be credited to other Physicists taking interests in his ideas and proving them. Scientists traveled to the coasts of West Africa and northern Brazil to observe the solar eclipse on May 29, 1919. They brought their results back to the Royal Society in London. Immediately following this the headline of The Times of London read, “Revolution in Science—New Theory of the Universe—Newton’s Ideas Overthrown—Momentous Pronouncement—Space ‘Warped.’” Einstein further expressed his findings by giving guest lectures when he toured the world, which he did many times, the first being in 1921. Einstein eventually returned to the academic world, becoming a professor of Physics.

Why his ideas were both important during his lifetime and today

During Einstein's time, his theories changed the way people saw and approached Physics. He traveled the world giving lectures and spreading the knowledge he had gained. He inspired generations of Physicists, and many of his theories are still being taught and used in modern science.

Works Cited

Kaku, Michio. "Albert Einstein." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Albert-Einstein>.

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