In 1905 Albert Einstein, who was then a 26-year-old employee of the Swiss Patent Office in Bern, published four scientific papers which among other things solved the long-standing problem of Brownian motion and introduced the totally new theory of Special Relativity.
Einstein exhibition in Berlin
The 100th anniversary of these papers in 2005 was the occasion for numerous exhibitions on Einstein and his life and work. Here at the Humboldt University in Berlin is where Einstein worked (and occasionally also lectured) from 1914 to 1932.
Book by Abraham Pais
Here again is my favorite book on Einstein: Subtle is the Lord… The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein by Abraham Pais, published 1982 by Oxford University Press. Just don’t ask me to explain the equations, okay?
Einstein was a keen cyclist who once said that he got the idea for his Special Theory of Relativity while riding his bicycle. Another Einstein quotation: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”
My photos in this post are from 2005. I revised the text in 2019.
See also: Einstein lived here (and so did I).
I love that quote. Even if I am that silly person who somehow forgot how to ride a bicycle properly. (Sigh! And they said it couldn’t be done.)
I guess it’s more believable than his coming up with the theory while drinking beer. 😉
I love Einstein’s cycling quote – so true!