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A Man Who Changed the World: Albert Einstein (May 23, 2003, Two)

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Program Summary

At the start of a new century, a young, unassuming man spent long hours examining patent applications for the Swiss government. In his spare time, he studied mathematics, physics, and the mysteries of the universe. In 1905, a few of his novel ideas were published, and what they contained would change the world. The man was Albert Einstein.

As the 100^th anniversary of those publications approaches, attention is once again focused on this brilliant man. His theories of relativity, of gravitation, of the nature of light answered many of the questions that had had physicists scratching their heads for centuries, laying the foundations for further work that would lead to quantum mechanics, the atom bomb, and even space travel. Rarely does a single person have such a dramatic effect on the entire world. Ira’s guests, authors and professors, discuss forthcoming books about Einstein’s life, personality, and accomplishments, and the publication of Einstein’s personal papers on the Internet.

While almost everyone knows that Einstein wrote the famous equation E=mc², fewer of us know the complicated, passionate soul behind it. As a youth, he was an indifferent student; his teachers branded him as lazy or retarded because he wasn’t interested in memorizing lists of facts and figures as they required. His talents lay in abstract thinking and an intense curiosity in scientific anomalies. He was an ardent pacifist from the age of 15, when he renounced his German citizenship because of the government’s policies of aggression. When Hitler came to power, however, Einstein, who had already immigrated to the United States, foresaw the future under the tyrant and joined with other scientists in urging Franklin Roosevelt to develop a nuclear weapon program. He knew that Germany was very close to developing an atomic bomb and was convinced that the only way to stop Hitler was to beat him to the punch. He was also very much aware of the consequences of nuclear warfare, and after World War II, strongly supported the disarmament movement. Far from being an “ivory tower” academic, Einstein also dedicated himself to human rights issues, calling for an end to racial discrimination. A Zionist, he also worked for the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel with the rights of the Palestinians taken into account.

Einstein was the first real “celebrity” in science, known all over the globe and constantly in demand as a speaker. He was sought out by notable people in all fields for autographs and photos, and once, when asked what he did for a living by someone who didn’t recognize him, sarcastically called himself an artist’s model. He was a legend in his own time, so famous that he was no longer Einstein, the physicist, but, as Frank Pelligrini writes in “Time 100:” “Einstein, the Einstein.”

Guests

Thomas Levenson, television producer and author in Boston

Barry Parker, author and professor emeritus of physics at the Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho

Peter L. Galison, Mallinckrodt professor of the history of science and of physics in the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Diana Kormos Buchwald, associate professor of history and general editor and director of the Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California

Levenson, Thomas. "Einstein in Berlin,” Bantam Doubleday Dell, 2003.
Parker, Barry. "Einstein: Passions of a Scientist," Prometheus Books, 2003.

Related Links and Resources

American Institute of Physics, Einstein: Image and Impact
California Institute of Technology,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem and California Institute of Technology,Einstein Archives Online
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Albert Einstein Archives
Nobel e-Museum, Albert Einstein Biography
Public Broadcasting System, NOVA Online: Einstein Revealed
TIME 100’s Scientists and Thinkers: Albert Einstein

For Discussion:

• How did Einstein change science?
• What are some of the technologies and theories that are descended from his work?
• Why is he considered the father of atomic energy?
• If he was a pacifist, why did he advocate using the atom bomb? How did he feel about it afterwards?
• Can you think of anyone who might be considered as brilliant as Einstein?
• What do you think life would be like if Einstein hadn’t existed? Do you think other scientists would have come up with the same theories?

Activities

Faster than a speeding bullet. No site can explain the theory of relativity or the speed of light better than NOVA Online’s Einstein Revealed, originally a PBS program. Two great activities, The Light Stuff and Time Traveler, are fun demonstrations that make Einstein’s theories come alive. In Genius Among Geniuses, the show’s producer muses on how smart Einstein was and summarizes some of his theories, examining what makes them brilliant.

Smarter than the average bear. We can’t all be Einstein, but we can learn to think like him at Think Like Einstein, an activity in NOVA Online’s Time Travel. We are taken by the hand and led through the theory of relativity step by step.

From clerk to icon. Einstein: Image and Impact (American Institute of Physics) is a well-organized, detailed history of Einstein’s life, work, and philosophy in text and photographs. Students can listen to his thoughts recorded in his own voice and read about current uses of his theories.

How stuff works. Einstein's Legacy (University of Colorado at Boulder) explains innovations that resulted from his work. Neat stuff such as microwave ovens, TV screens and CAT scans are demonstrated with fun text and interactive exercises.

Medal man. Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. Kids can visit the Nobel e-Museum for a biography (Albert Einstein) and details about his theories (Physics). While there, they can investigate more prize winners in physics and other categories.

I’m smarter than you are. Neuroscience for Kids: Einstein's Brain recounts how scientists have studied Einstein’s brain to see if there was anything different about it that could account for his brilliance.

For more information and activities about Einstein’s influence on cosmology, visit Science Friday Kids' Connection, January 17, 2003, Hour Two:Einstein, Cosmology, and the Speed of Light.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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