Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and 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, 1874. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where young Albert's father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical business. ...view middle of the document...
He avidly studied the Bible seeking truth, butthis 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. TheInstitute 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had generally agreed on major principals in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to disprove outdated theories. Since most ofEinstein'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 ableto satiate his curiosity by figuring out how new inventions worked. The most important part of Einstein'soccupation was that it allowed him enough time to pursue his own line of research. As his ideas began todevelop, he published them in specialist journals. Though he was still unknown to the scientific world, he beganto attract a large circle of friends and admirers. A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed into asocial club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science. In 1903 he married Mileva Meric, amathematician friend.In 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal, the Annals of Physics. The first was immediatelyacknowledged, and the University of Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other papers helped todevelop modern physics and earned him the reputation of an artist. Many scientists have said that Einstein'swork contained an imaginative spirit that was seen in most poetry. His work at this time dealt with molecules, andhow their motion affected temperature, but he is most well known for his Special Theory of Relativity whichtackled motion and the speed of light. Perhaps the most important part of his discoveries was the equation: E=mc2.After publishing these theories Einstein was promoted at his office. He remained at the Patents Office for anothertwo years, but his name was becoming too big among the scientific community. In 1908, Einstein began teachingparty time at the University of Berne, and the following year, at the age of thirty, he became employed full timeby Zurich University. Einstein was now able to move to Prague with his wife and two sons, Hans Albert andEduard. Finally, after being promoted t...
