What Einstein invented. Five of Albert Einstein's most famous inventions Count to three

He was one of the greatest scientists who ever lived on Earth. But as happens with all famous people, some facts from their biography are distorted or forgotten over time. Digging into Einstein's life, we discovered interesting facts that prove that the great scientist can surprise even now.

His authorship of general relativity has been disputed

The discovery of the theory of relativity was surrounded by serious but little-known accusations of plagiarism by Einstein, David Hilbert and his supporters. It all started when Hilbert claimed that he was the first to come up with the general theory of relativity and that his work was copied by Einstein without proper credit. Einstein denied the accusations, saying that it was Hilbert who copied several of Einstein's earlier works.

At first, most people assumed that both scientists had worked independently on general relativity and that Hilbert had submitted the paper with the correct equations five days before Einstein. However, after historians decided to look into the matter, they discovered that it was Hilbert who borrowed several ideas from Einstein without mentioning his name.

Apparently, the proofs originally presented by Hilbert were missing an important step, without which they were incorrect. By the time Hilbert's work was published, he had already corrected the error. And he contrasted his work with Einstein’s, which was published much earlier.

He did well in high school

Einstein was an excellent high school student. Moreover, he was so good at mathematics that he studied calculus at the age of 12, three years earlier than usual. At the age of 15, Einstein wrote an advanced essay that became the basis for his later work on the theory of relativity.

The myth that Einstein was terrible at school was born out of differences in marking systems between German and Swiss schools. When Einstein exchanged the German school for one in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, the classification system - from 1 to 6 (like ours from 5 to 1) - was inverted. A 6, which was the lowest score, became the highest score, and a 1, which was the highest score, became the lowest score.

However, Einstein failed the college entrance exam. Before getting to Aargau, where the myth of poor academic performance originated, he tried to enter the Federal Polytechnic School in Switzerland. And although he passed exams in mathematics and physics with flying colors, he scored poorly in some non-scientific subjects, especially French.

His inventions

During Einstein's life, he was credited with several inventions, including the Einstein refrigerator, which he invented with his friend and colleague physicist Leo Szilard. Unlike regular refrigerators, Einstein's refrigerator did not use electricity. It cooled food through a process of absorption, which uses pressure changes between gases and liquids to lower the temperature in the food chamber.

Einstein wanted to invent his own refrigerator after hearing about the death of a German family who were poisoned by toxic gases leaking from an ordinary refrigerator. In the 1800s, mechanical compressors in refrigerators could have defective seals that leaked poisonous gases, sulfur dioxide and methyl chloride.

Einstein also invented the pump and the blouse. The blouse had two sets of buttons sewn parallel to each other. One set of buttons would suit a thin person, and the other would suit a heavier person. A skinny person who would buy an Einstein blouse could gain weight and simply switch to a different set of buttons. Just like a curvy person who has lost weight. Saving.

The loophole that could make the US a dictator

Kurt Gödel was among the scientists who fled to the United States from Nazi-controlled areas during World War II. Unlike Einstein, Gödel had difficulty obtaining American citizenship. When he was finally invited to a citizenship interview, he had to bring two people with him who could vouch for his behavior. Gödel took friends Oscar Morgenstern and Einstein.

Gödel read a lot in preparation for the interview, which, quite by chance, was conducted by Judge Philip Foreman, a friend of Einstein. When Foreman expressed the hope that the United States was not and would never become a dictatorship, Godel objected, saying that the United States could very well acquire a dictatorship due to a loophole in the Constitution.

He was about to explain, but Einstein interrupted Gödel, since his answer could ruin his chances of becoming a citizen. Judge Foreman quickly continued the interview, and Godel became a US citizen.

This incident became known only thanks to Morgenstern's diary entry. However, it does not say what the loophole was or how the US could become a country with a dictatorship. No one knows which part of the Constitution contains the obvious loophole, but there is speculation that Gödel was thinking about Article 5, which allows changes to the Constitution. It is quite possible that some amendments could legally destroy it.

The FBI tracked Einstein from 1933, when he came to the United States, until his death in 1955. The Bureau tapped his phone, intercepted his letter, and searched his trash for evidence that might point to a suspicious group or activity, including spying for the Soviet Union. At one point, the FBI even teamed up with the immigration service in search of a reason to deport a scientist. Einstein was suspected of being an anti-government radical or communist due to his political views and connections to pacifist and human rights groups.

Before Einstein arrived in the United States, the Women's Patriotic Corporation sent a 16-page letter to the State Department protesting the scientist's entry into the country. She argued that even Joseph Stalin was less associated with communist groups than Einstein.

As a result, the State Department thoroughly questioned Einstein about his political beliefs before issuing the visa. Angry, Einstein angrily told his interviewers that the American people had begged him to come to the United States and he would not tolerate being treated as a suspect. Having already received citizenship, Einstein remained in the United States, even knowing that he was under surveillance. Once he even told the Polish ambassador that their conversation was secretly recorded.

He regretted his involvement in the atomic bomb

Einstein never took part in , the US government program that created the first nuclear bombs during World War II. Even if he wanted to participate, he would be refused due to security reasons. Scientists who took part in the project were also prohibited from meeting with him.

Einstein's only contribution was signing a letter asking President Roosevelt to develop an atomic bomb. Together with physicist Leo Szilard, Einstein wrote a letter after learning that German scientists had split the uranium atom.

Although Einstein knew about the extremely destructive power of the atomic bomb, he got involved in the first place because he was afraid that the Germans would be the first to make a bomb. But later he regretted writing and signing the letter. When he heard that the United States had dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, he responded, “Woe is me.” Einstein later admitted that he would not have signed the letter if he had known that the Germans would never make a bomb.

Born in 1910, Eduard was the second son of Einstein and his wife Mileva Maric. Eduard (nicknamed "Tete" or "Tetel") was often ill as a child and was diagnosed as a schizophrenic at the age of 20. Mileva, who divorced Einstein in 1919, initially cared for Eduard but later committed him to a mental institution.

Einstein was not surprised when Tete received this diagnosis. Mileva's sister suffered from schizophrenia and Tete often exhibited behavior that indicated illness. Einstein fled Germany for the United States a year after Tete was hospitalized. Although Einstein often visited his sons when they all lived in Europe, once in America, he limited himself to letters.

Einstein's letters to Edward were rare, but very sincere. In one letter, Einstein compared people to the sea, noting that they can be “affable and friendly” or “turbulent and complex.” He added that he would like to see his son this coming spring. Unfortunately, World War II broke out and Einstein never saw Tete again.

After Mileva's death in 1948, Tete remained in the hospital for another nine years. He spent eight years with a foster family, but returned to the hospital when his foster mother became ill. Tete died in 1965.

Einstein was a heavy smoker

More than anything in the world, Einstein loved his violin and pipe. A heavy smoker, he once said that he believed smoking was necessary for peace and "objective judgement" in people. When his doctor prescribed him to quit his bad habit, Einstein put his pipe in his mouth and lit a cigarette. Sometimes he would also pick up cigarette butts on the streets to light in his pipe.

Einstein received life membership in the Montreal Pipe Smoking Club. One day he fell overboard while on a boat, but managed to save his treasured pipe from the water. Apart from his many manuscripts and letters, the pipe remains one of the few personal belongings of Einstein that we have.

He loved women

When Einstein wasn't working on E=mc^2, smoking, writing letters, or designing a blouse, he entertained himself with women. His letters show how much he loved women, or, in Einstein's own words, how much women loved him.

In an interview with NBC News, Hanoch Gutfreund, chairman of the Albert Einstein World Exhibition at Hebrew University, described Einstein's marriage to his second wife Elsa as a "marriage of convenience." Gutfreund also believes that the 3,500 pages of Einstein's letters, published in 2006, show that Einstein was not such a bad father and husband as originally thought.

Admitting that he could not stay with one woman, Einstein was open with Elsa about his extramarital affairs. He often wrote to her in letters about how many women gathered around him, which he himself described as unwanted attention. While married, he had at least six girlfriends, including Estella, Ethel, Tony and Margarita.

In a letter to his stepdaughter Margot in 1931, Einstein wrote: “It is true that M. has followed me to England, and her persecution is getting out of control. Of all the ladies, I am really attached only to Mrs. L., who is absolutely harmless and decent.”

Einstein's biggest mistake

Einstein may have been a brilliant scientist, but he was far from perfect. In fact, he made at least seven mistakes in various proofs of E = mc^2. Nevertheless, in 1917 he admitted his “greatest mistake.” He added the cosmological constant - represented by the Greek letter lambda - to the equations of general relativity. Lambda represented the force that counteracts the pull of gravity. Einstein added lambda because most scientists believed that the universe was stable at that time.

Einstein later removed the constant when he discovered that his previous equations were correct and the Universe was actually expanding. But in 2010, scientists found that equations with lambda may well be correct. Lambda may explain "dark energy", a theoretical force that opposes gravity and .

– famous physicist, one of the founders of modern theoretical physics, author of the theory of relativity, Nobel Prize laureate. Along with these discoveries in the field of physics, known to almost everyone, he also had a number of significant discoveries and practical inventions in other fields, including electronics.

Albert Einstein was born on March 14 1879 years in the German city of Ulm, in a Jewish family. A year after the birth of their son, the family moved to Munich. Here Albert's father, together with his brother, founded a small company selling electrical equipment. Einstein received his primary education at a local Catholic school. In addition, from the age of 6 he studied music - playing the violin. After school he entered the Munich Gymnasium, where he was the most successful student in Latin and mathematics.

IN 1896 year he entered the Faculty of Education at the Zurich Polytechnic. Having moved to study in a new country, he renounced his German citizenship in favor of Swiss citizenship. However, due to the poor situation of the family (to obtain Swiss citizenship it was necessary to pay 1000 francs), I was able to obtain it only after 5 years.

IN 1900 Einstein graduated from polytechnic school with a diploma as a teacher of physics and mathematics. IN 1902 year, he got a job as an expert at the Swiss Patent Office, where he worked for seven years.

IN 1905 year, Einstein defended his thesis “A New Determination of the Size of Molecules” at the University of Zurich, and became a Doctor of Science. In 1909 he was elected professor at this university. Next year - professor at the German University in Prague. In 1914 he became a professor at the University of Berlin and director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics. Also, after the restoration of German citizenship, he was elected a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences.

IN 1908 scientist invents a new electrostatic method for measuring small amounts of electricity. And, subsequently, together with the American physicist Konrad Habicht, they created a meter for very low voltages.

Albert Einstein was the first to study and investigate electrical fluctuations - electrical noise that interferes with the operation of radio transmitting and receiving devices.

IN 1915 Albert Einstein creates the general theory of relativity, which brought him worldwide fame.

IN 1922 Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics “for his services to theoretical physics.”

IN 1926 year, the scientist was elected an honorary member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In the same year, he and Leo Szilard invented a silent absorption refrigerator, and in 1930 they patented this invention. The refrigerator had small heating elements and worked on the principle of absorption - the absorption of gases in a volume of liquid.

Albert Einstein gave the world the most revolutionary scientific ideas of the 20th century, including the famous theory of relativity. Einstein is an internationally recognized genius of science.

Albert Einstein was born in the city of Ulm in southern Germany on March 14, 1879. A year after his birth, the Einstein family moved to Munich. Einstein's father, together with his brother, owned a small company selling electrical equipment, but in 1894 the brothers decided to move their company to the small Italian town of Pavia near Milan, hoping that things would improve there. Albert's father and mother moved to Italy, but he himself continued to study for some time in one of the Munich gymnasiums, remaining in the care of relatives.

Nothing in Albert Einstein's childhood predicted that he would become a scientific genius. He did not speak until he was 3 years old, and while studying he hated strict school discipline. The only thing that gave him pleasure was playing the violin. In 1895, Albert moved to Italy to live with his father and mother.

Einstein completed his education in the Swiss city of Zurich. In 1896, he entered the Higher Technical School - the most prestigious higher education institution in Switzerland. Albert developed his own training system and... Instead of attending lectures, he independently studied the works of great physicists. Because of this, the professors disliked him. In 1900, Einstein received a diploma as a teacher of physics and mathematics, but for a long time he could not find a permanent job - at least as a school teacher. Finally, in 1902, he was accepted into the Berne Federal Office for Patenting Inventions as a third-class expert.

Wonderful year

Working in the patent office did not excite Einstein too much, but it gave him the opportunity to improve his financial situation and marry his ex.

Fellow student Mileva Maric. In addition, Albert had enough free time to engage in his own scientific developments. Nothing, however, foreshadowed what happened in 1905. Then Einstein submitted several articles to the leading German scientific journal “Annals of Physics”, each of which became a turning point in the history of science. One of them was devoted to a phenomenon that later became known as the photoelectric effect. In it, Einstein outlined his own ideas about the phenomenon when exposure to bright light knocks electrons out of atoms, resulting in the production of a small electrical charge. Then it remained a mystery why this effect depends only on the color of the light exposure, and not on its intensity. This seemed surprising, since larger waves were expected to have a greater effect.

Particles of light

Young Einstein solved the problem by going against the scientific understanding developed throughout the 19th century. It was believed that light travels in the form of waves.

And Einstein realized that the photoelectric effect can be easily explained if we consider light in the form of particles, since particles of the same size always cause the same effect. The particles of light were later called photons, and they are indeed tiny particles of energy. In 1900, German physicist Max Planck discovered that heat is not emitted in a uniform flow, but comes in portions, which he called quanta. But it was Einstein who realized that all electromagnetic radiation travels in this way, and that portions of energy are particles, like electrons and photons. In other words, portions of energy and tiny particles are one and the same thing.

The second paper, written by Einstein in 1905, was devoted to measuring the size of molecules. The third explained in detail Brownian motion - the random movement in water of tiny particles, such as dust grains, that can be seen under a microscope.

Einstein hypothesized that the movement of dust grains was caused by collisions with moving atoms, and presented mathematical calculations that confirmed this. This became an important proof of the reality of atoms and molecules, which was then still disputed by some scientists. But Albert Einstein's main work in 1905 was the special theory of relativity.

Special theory of relativity

In 1887, a famous experiment by Albert Michelson and Edward Morley showed that light always travels at the same speed, regardless of how it is measured. This disappointed scientists because it destroyed one of the theories about light waves.
But Einstein had his own opinion on this matter.

Usually speed is measured in relation to something. For example, if you need to determine the speed at which you are running, then you measure it relative to the ground under your feet, which seems stationary, but rotates with the Earth. But light travels at the same speed regardless of anything else. And there is only one speed.

Albert Einstein reasoned this way. Speed ​​is the distance traveled in a certain period of time. If the speed of light is constant, then time and distance must change. This meant that time and distance are relative concepts and may not be constant. This is called Einstein's special theory of relativity.

World of relativity

The significance of this statement by Einstein cannot be overestimated. It upended all previous ideas about space and time, distance and speed and forced scientists to look at them in a completely new way. How important this turned out to be became especially clear when astronomy, which was equipped with radio telescopes, further expanded scientists’ ideas about space.

True, Einstein’s special theory of relativity is practically inapplicable to the events of everyday life, but amazing things should happen to objects moving at the speed of light.

Einstein showed, based on Newton's laws of motion, that for objects moving at or near the speed of light, time appears to expand - it stretches out and moves more slowly, and distances shorten. And the objects themselves become heavier. Einstein called this fact relativity.

Miracle Equation

By putting forward the special theory of relativity. Einstein continued to ponder the problem. He has already shown that as soon as the speed of an object approaches the speed of light, the mass of that object increases. To “gain” this additional mass without reducing speed would require additional energy. Any other change would mean a change in the speed of light, which, according to the evidence presented by Einstein, cannot happen.

Thus. Einstein realized that mass and energy are interchangeable. And he derived a simple but now famous equation that defines these relationships: E = ms2. It shows that E (energy) is equal to mass (m) times the speed of light (c) squared. It was an outstanding idea, easily explaining, for example, how radiation works - simply by converting mass into energy. It proved the possibility of generating large amounts of energy from a small amount of radioactive material. Increasing mass by the speed of light implied that there was enormous potential energy contained in the mass of the tiniest atom. This theory was used 40 years later when the first atomic bomb was created.
At first, Einstein's outstanding theories did not attract much attention from the scientific world, and he continued to work at the Patent and Invention Office. Gradually, however, his fame grew, and in 1909 Einstein was offered the position of assistant professor at the Polytechnic University of Zurich. By that time he was already working on the general theory of relativity.

General theory

When developing the general theory of relativity, Einstein figuratively imagined a beam of light piercing a falling elevator. The beam reaches the far wall of the elevator a little higher than the front because the elevator descends as the beam crosses it, and the light beam bends upward slightly. Based on the special theory of relativity. Einstein suggested that in fact the beam does not bend, but only appears so because space and time are distorted by the force that pulls the elevator down.

Thanks to this assumption, Einstein built a great scientific theory. When Newton derived the law of gravity, he could only show a mathematical reality - that objects of a certain mass accelerate at a certain, predictable speed. But he didn't show how it works. Einstein managed to do this clearly. The scientist showed that gravity is just a distortion in space and time. Mass creates an effect known as gravity by distorting space and time around it.

And the greater the mass, the greater the distortion. This means that the planets revolve around the Sun not because they are affected by some mysterious force, but simply because space and time around the Sun are distorted, and the planets revolve around it like a ball inside a funnel.

Einstein's theories prove that travel in space is impossible at speeds greater than the speed of light. But science fiction writers suggest that future spaceships will be able to “break” the speed of light record by stretching time and space using imaginary “hyperspace” engines.

Einstein was right

When Einstein published his general theory of relativity in 1915, many did not really understand his evidence. There were those who considered them an absurd invention. Was there a way to prove Einstein's claims in practice? He himself proposed this way to prove his theory.

Astronomers were supposed to detect a slight shift in the true position of a distant star as it passed in front of it relative to the observer of our Sun. Such a shift would show that the light rays from the star were bent due to the distortion of space and time near the Sun. Therefore, in May 1919, special expeditions went to Guinea and Brazil to observe a solar eclipse - this is the only time when stars can be seen close to the Sun. The English astrophysicist Arthur Eddington, who led these expeditions, was a staunch supporter of Einstein’s theories, which were so difficult to understand. One day, the scientist Ludwig Silverstein told him, “You must be one of the three people on Earth who understands general relativity,” referring to Einstein, himself, and Eddington. To which Eddington replied: “I wonder who the third is?”

During the eclipse, astronomers were actually able to take pictures of the star, which showed how it had apparently moved relative to the Sun - almost as Einstein had predicted. The results of the observations were published all over the world, and Einstein soon became the most famous of the scientists. Even his appearance was now famous - unruly tousled hair and downward mustache.

Einstein himself was very surprised by such attention to his person, but it did not stop him from continuing his work.

Einstein wanted to find a way to combine the nature of electromagnetism and gravity into one big theory that could explain how everything works, from stellar galaxies to the smallest subatomic particles. Until the end of his life, the scientist continued to work on such a “unified theory.”

Ironically, Einstein was at the forefront of quantum theory, which had the same scientific significance as the theory of relativity. It assumes that at the subatomic level one must operate in terms of portions or quanta of energy. It also proves that particles and waves are interchangeable: every particle can behave like a wave, and every wave can behave like a particle. In addition, quantum theory shows that researchers cannot determine exactly where a particle is, but only predict its possible location. Therefore, sooner or later the particle may end up in an unexpected place.

God doesn't play dice

And although it was thanks to Einstein’s ideas regarding the relationship between light and atoms that quantum theory developed, he himself did not accept it. It wasn't just because, as it turned out. The universe was not subject to one set of laws, but two: one for the subatomic world, and another for everything else. Albert Einstein rejected the very unstable nature of quantum theory as a whole.

Einstein's theories of relativity may seem extraordinary, but they were always based on the assumption that the universe behaves in a certain way. He simply could not accept the idea that the Universe was governed by probability. “God does not play dice” - this famous phrase of Einstein is often quoted. What he actually said was, “It seems difficult to look into God's cards. But the fact that he plays dice and uses “telepathic” methods... I don’t believe for a minute.” Einstein's attempts to refute quantum theory increasingly seemed erroneous to scientists, but in fact they led to the main evidence that... quantum effects are real.

In the 1920s Einstein began to show increasing interest in political problems. In 1933 he moved to the USA, where he began working at Princeton. There he met prominent thinkers such as the Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud and the Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore. Einstein was horrified that his ideas were used in the development of nuclear weapons, and after World War II he became an ardent supporter of the idea of ​​​​forming a world government that could end conflicts between states. Albert Einstein died in April 1955 at the age of 76.

Albert Einstein. Biography and discoveries of Albert Einstein

To understand Einstein's theory of general relativity, imagine a rubber "sheet". A heavy object such as the Sun (A) makes a dent in it. This dent figuratively shows how gravity distorts space and time. Gravity then acts as follows. Any slow-moving body passing nearby (such as the Earth or another planet) rolls into the depression created by (A) and moves along a path (B) within it. Bodies moving faster will follow a more open path around A, while a ray of light (C) passing at a great distance and moving much faster will bend quite slightly.

One of the most famous personalities of the first half of the 20th century was Albert Einstein. This great scientist achieved a lot in his life, becoming not only a Nobel laureate, but also radically changing scientific ideas about the Universe.

He has written about 300 scientific papers and about 150 books and articles in various fields of knowledge.

Born in 1879 in Germany, he lived for 76 years, dying on April 18, 1955 in, where he worked for the last 15 years of his life.

Some of Einstein's contemporaries said that communicating with him was like the fourth dimension. Of course, she is often surrounded by a halo of glory and various legends. That is why there are often cases when certain moments from their enthusiastic fans are deliberately exaggerated.

We offer you interesting facts from the life of Albert Einstein.

Photo from 1947

As we said at the beginning, Albert Einstein was extremely famous. Therefore, when random passers-by stopped him on the street, asking in a jubilant voice if it was him, the scientist often said: “No, sorry, they always confuse me with Einstein!”

One day he was asked what the speed of sound is. To this the great physicist replied: “I do not have the habit of remembering things that can easily be found in a book.”

It is curious that little Albert developed very slowly as a child. His parents were worried that he would be retarded, since he began to speak tolerably only at the age of 7. It is believed that he had a form of autism, possibly Asperger's Syndrome.

Einstein's great love for music is well known. He learned to play the violin as a child and carried it with him all his life.

One day, while reading a newspaper, a scientist came across an article that reported that an entire family had died due to a leak of sulfur dioxide from a faulty refrigerator. Deciding that this was a mess, Albert Einstein, together with his former student, invented a refrigerator with a different, safer principle of operation. The invention was called “Einstein’s Refrigerator.”

It is known that the great physicist had an active civic position. He was an ardent supporter of the civil rights movement and declared that Jews in Germany and blacks in America had equal rights. “Ultimately, we are all human,” he said.

Albert Einstein was a convinced man and spoke out strongly against all Nazism.

Surely everyone has seen the photograph where the scientist sticks out his tongue. An interesting fact is that this photo was taken on the eve of his 72nd birthday. Tired of cameras, Albert Einstein stuck out his tongue at another request to smile. Now all over the world this photograph is not only known, but also everyone interprets it in their own way, giving it a metaphysical meaning.

The fact is that when signing one of the photographs with his tongue hanging out, the genius said that his gesture was addressed to all of humanity. How can we do without metaphysics! By the way, contemporaries always emphasized the scientist’s subtle humor and ability to make witty jokes.

It is known that Einstein was Jewish by nationality. So in 1952, when the state was just beginning to form into a full-fledged power, the great scientist was offered to become president. Of course, the physicist flatly refused such a high post, citing the fact that he was a scientist and did not have enough experience to govern the country.

On the eve of his death, he was offered to undergo surgery, but he refused, saying that “artificial prolongation of life makes no sense.” In general, all the visitors who came to see the dying genius noted his absolute calm, and even cheerful mood. He expected death as an ordinary natural phenomenon, such as rain. In this it is somewhat reminiscent of .

An interesting fact is that the last words of Albert Einstein are unknown. He spoke them in German, which his American nurse did not know.

Taking advantage of his incredible popularity, the scientist for some time charged one dollar for each autograph. He donated the proceeds to charity.

After one scientific dialogue with his colleagues, Albert Einstein said: “God does not play dice.” To which Niels Bohr objected: “Stop telling God what to do!”

Interestingly, the scientist never considered himself an atheist. But he also did not believe in a personal God. It is certain that he stated that he preferred humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual awareness. Apparently, until his death he never decided on this concept, remaining a humble questioner.

There is a misconception that Albert Einstein was not very good at . In fact, at the age of 15 he had already mastered differential and integral calculus.

Einstein at 14

Having received a check for $1,500 from the Rockefeller Foundation, the great physicist used it as a bookmark for a book. But, alas, he lost this book.

In general, there were legends about his absent-mindedness. One day Einstein was riding on a Berlin tram and was thinking intently about something. The conductor, who did not recognize him, received the wrong amount for the ticket and corrected him. And indeed, rummaging in his pocket, the great scientist discovered the missing coins and paid. “It’s okay, grandpa,” said the conductor, “you just need to learn arithmetic.”

Interestingly, Albert Einstein never wore socks. He did not give any special explanations about this, but even at the most formal events his shoes were worn on bare feet.

It sounds incredible, but Einstein's brain was stolen. After his death in 1955, pathologist Thomas Harvey removed the scientist's brain and took photographs of it from different angles. Then, cutting the brain into many small pieces, he sent them to various laboratories for 40 years to be examined by the best neurologists in the world.

It is noteworthy that the scientist, during his lifetime, agreed to have his brain examined after his death. But he did not consent to the theft of Thomas Harvey!

In general, the will of the brilliant physicist was to be cremated after death, which was done, but only, as you already guessed, without a brain. Even during his lifetime, Einstein was an ardent opponent of any cult of personality, so he did not want his grave to become a place of pilgrimage. His ashes were scattered to the wind.

An interesting fact is that Albert Einstein became interested in science as a child. When he was 5 years old, he fell ill with something. His father, to calm him down, showed him a compass. Little Albert was amazed that the arrow constantly pointed in one direction, no matter how he turned this mysterious device. He decided that there was some force that made the arrow behave this way. By the way, after the scientist became famous throughout the world, this story was often told.

Albert Einstein was very fond of the “Maxims” of the outstanding French thinker and political figure François de La Rochefoucauld. He re-read them constantly.

In general, in literature, the genius of physics preferred Bertolt Brecht.

Einstein at the Patent Office (1905)

At the age of 17, Albert Einstein wanted to enter the Swiss Higher Technical School in Zurich. However, he only passed the math exam and failed all the others. For this reason, he had to go to a vocational school. A year later, he still managed to pass the required exams.

When radicals took the rector and several professors hostage in 1914, Albert Einstein, along with Max Born, went to negotiate. They managed to find a common language with the rioters, and the situation was resolved peacefully. From this we can conclude that the scientist was not a timid person.

By the way, here is an extremely rare photo of the master. We'll do without any comments - just admire the genius!

Albert Einstein at a lecture

Another interesting fact that not everyone knows. Einstein was first nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1910 for his theory of relativity. However, the committee found her evidence insufficient. Further, every year (!), except 1911 and 1915, he was recommended for this prestigious award by various physicists.

And only in November 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1921. A diplomatic way out of the awkward situation was found. Einstein was awarded the prize not for the theory of relativity, but for the theory of the photoelectric effect, although the text of the decision included a postscript: “... and for other work in the field of theoretical physics.”

As a result, we see that one of the greatest physicists, considered to be, was awarded only the tenth time. Why is this such a stretch? Very fertile ground for lovers of conspiracy theories.

Did you know that Master Yoda's face from the Star Wars movie is based on images of Einstein? The facial expressions of a genius were used as a prototype.

Despite the fact that the scientist died back in 1955, he confidently occupies 7th place in the “” list. Annual income from sales of Baby Einstein products is more than $10 million.

There is a common belief that Albert Einstein was a vegetarian. But this is not true. In principle, he supported this movement, but he himself began to follow a vegetarian diet about a year before his death.

Einstein's personal life

In 1903, Albert Einstein married his classmate Mileva Maric, who was 4 years older than him.

The year before, they had an illegitimate daughter. However, due to financial difficulties, the young father insisted on giving the child to Mileva’s wealthy but childless relatives, who themselves wanted this. In general, it must be said that the physicist did his best to hide this dark story. Therefore, there is no detailed information about this daughter. Some biographers believe that she died in childhood.

Albert Einstein and Mileva Maric (first wife)

When Albert Einstein's scientific career began, success and travel around the world took a toll on his relationship with Mileva. They were on the verge of divorce, but then, nevertheless, they agreed on one strange contract. Einstein invited his wife to continue living together, provided that she agreed to his demands:

1. Keep his clothes and room (especially his desk) clean.
2. Bring breakfast, lunch and dinner to your room regularly.
3. Complete renunciation of marital relations.
4. Stop talking when he asks.
5. Leave his room upon request.

Surprisingly, the wife agreed to these conditions, humiliating for any woman, and they lived together for some time. Although later Mileva Maric still could not stand her husband’s constant betrayals and after 16 years of marriage they divorced.

It is interesting that two years before his first marriage he wrote to his beloved:

“...I have lost my mind, I am dying, I am burning with love and desire. The pillow you sleep on is a hundred times happier than my heart! You come to me at night, but, unfortunately, only in a dream...”

But then everything went according to Dostoevsky: “From love to hate there is one step.” The feelings quickly cooled down and were a burden for both.

By the way, before the divorce, Einstein promised that if he received the Nobel Prize (and this happened in 1922), he would give it all to Mileva. The divorce took place, but he did not give the money received from the Nobel Committee to his ex-wife, but only allowed her to use the interest from it.

In total, they had three children: two legitimate sons and one illegitimate daughter, which we have already talked about. Einstein's youngest son Eduard had great abilities. But as a student, he suffered a severe nervous breakdown, as a result of which he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Entering a psychiatric hospital at age 21, he spent most of his life there, dying at age 55. Albert Einstein himself could not come to terms with the idea that he had a mentally ill son. There are letters in which he complains that it would be better if he had never been born.

Mileva Maric (first wife) and Einstein's two sons

Einstein had an extremely bad relationship with his eldest son Hans. And until the death of the scientist. Biographers believe that this is directly related to the fact that he did not give the Nobel Prize to his wife, as promised, but only the interest. Hans is the only successor to the Einstein family, although his father bequeathed an extremely small inheritance to him.

It is important to emphasize here that after the divorce, Mileva Maric suffered from depression for a long time and was treated by various psychoanalysts. Albert Einstein felt guilty about her all his life.

However, the great physicist was a real ladies' man. After divorcing his first wife, he literally immediately married his cousin (on his mother’s side) Elsa. During this marriage, he had many mistresses, which Elsa knew very well. Moreover, they spoke freely on this topic. Apparently, the official status of the wife of a world-famous scientist was enough for Elsa.

Albert Einstein and Elsa (second wife)

This second wife of Albert Einstein was also divorced, had two daughters and, like the physicist’s first wife, was three years older than her scientist husband. Despite the fact that they did not have children together, they lived together until Elsa's death in 1936.

An interesting fact is that Einstein initially considered marrying Elsa’s daughter, who was 18 years younger than him. However, she did not agree, so she had to marry her mother.

Stories from the life of Einstein

Stories from the lives of great people are always extremely interesting. Although, to be objective, any person in this sense is of enormous interest. It’s just that more attention is always paid to outstanding representatives of humanity. We are pleased to idealize the image of a genius, attributing to him supernatural actions, words and phrases.

Count to three

One day Albert Einstein was at a party. Knowing that the great scientist was fond of playing the violin, the owners asked him to play together with the composer Hans Eisler, who was present here. After preparations, they tried to play.

However, Einstein just couldn’t keep up with the beat, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t even play the introduction properly. Then Eisler rose from the piano and said:

“I don’t understand why the whole world considers a man great who can’t count to three!”

Brilliant violinist

They say that Albert Einstein once performed at a charity concert together with the famous cellist Grigory Pyatigorsky. There was a journalist in the hall who was supposed to write a report about the concert. Turning to one of the listeners and pointing to Einstein, he asked in a whisper:

- Do you know the name of this man with a mustache and a violin?

- What are you talking about! - the lady exclaimed. - After all, this is the great Einstein himself!

Embarrassed, the journalist thanked her and began frantically writing something in his notebook. The next day, an article appeared in the newspaper that an outstanding composer and incomparable violin virtuoso named Einstein, who eclipsed Pyatigorsky himself with his skill, performed at the concert.

This amused Einstein so much, who was already very fond of humor, that he cut out this note and, on occasion, said to his friends:

- Do you think I'm a scientist? This is a deep misconception! I'm actually a famous violinist!

Great Thoughts

Another interesting case is that of a journalist who asked Einstein where he wrote down his great thoughts. To this the scientist replied, looking at the reporter’s thick diary:

“Young man, truly great thoughts come so rarely that they are not at all difficult to remember!”

Time and eternity

Once an American journalist, attacking the famous physicist, asked him what the difference between time and eternity was. To this Albert Einstein replied:

“If I had time to explain this to you, an eternity would pass before you could understand it.”

Two celebrities

In the first half of the 20th century, only two people were truly global celebrities: Einstein and Charlie Chaplin (see). After the release of the film “Gold Rush,” the scientist wrote a telegram to the comedian with the following content:

“I admire your film, which is understandable to the whole world. You will undoubtedly become a great man."

To which Chaplin replied:

“I admire you even more! Your theory of relativity is incomprehensible to anyone in the world, and yet you have become a great man.”

It doesn't matter

We have already written about Albert Einstein’s absent-mindedness. But here is another example from his life.

One day, walking down the street and thinking about the meaning of existence and global problems of humanity, he met an old friend of his, whom he mechanically invited to dinner:

- Come this evening, Professor Stimson will be our guest.

- But I am Stimson! – the interlocutor exclaimed.

“It doesn’t matter, come anyway,” Einstein said absentmindedly.

Colleague

One day, while walking along the corridor of Princeton University, Albert Einstein met a young physicist who had no merit to science except an uncontrolled ego. Having caught up with the famous scientist, the young man tapped him familiarly on the shoulder and asked:

- How are you, colleague?

“How,” Einstein was surprised, “do you also suffer from rheumatism?”

He really couldn't be denied a sense of humor!

Everything but money

One journalist asked Einstein's wife what she thought of her great husband.

“Oh, my husband is a real genius,” answered the wife, “he knows how to do absolutely everything except money!”

Einstein Quotes

Do you think all that simple? Yes, it's simple. But not at all like that.

Anyone who wants to see the results of their labor immediately should become a shoemaker.

Theory is when everything is known, but nothing works. Practice is when everything works, but no one knows why. We combine theory and practice: nothing works... and no one knows why!

There are only two infinite things: the Universe and stupidity. Although I'm not sure about the Universe.

Everyone knows that this is impossible. But then comes an ignorant person who doesn’t know this - he makes a discovery.

I don’t know with what weapons the third world war will be fought, but the fourth will be fought with sticks and stones.

Only a fool needs order - genius rules over chaos.

There are only two ways to live life. The first is as if miracles do not exist. The second one is like there are only miracles all around.

Education is what remains after everything learned at school is forgotten.

We are all geniuses. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it is stupid.

Only those who make absurd attempts will be able to achieve the impossible.

The greater my fame, the more stupid I become; and this is undoubtedly the general rule.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, while imagination embraces the whole world, stimulating progress, giving rise to evolution.

You will never solve a problem if you think the same way as those who created it.

If the theory of relativity is confirmed, the Germans will say that I am a German, and the French will say that I am a citizen of the world; but if my theory is refuted, the French will declare me a German, and the Germans a Jew.

Mathematics is the only perfect method for fooling yourself.

Through coincidences, God maintains anonymity.

The only thing that prevents me from studying is the education I received.

I survived two wars, two wives and...

I never think about the future. It comes soon enough on its own.

It can take you from point A to point B, and your imagination can take you anywhere.

Never memorize anything you can find in a book.

If you liked interesting facts and stories from the life of Albert Einstein, subscribe - it’s always interesting with us.

V. Ya. Frenkel, B. E. Yavelov

Magnetostrictive loudspeaker

On January 10, 1934, the German Patent Office, based on an application filed on April 25, 1929, issued patent No. 590783 for “A device, in particular for a sound reproduction system, in which changes in electric current due to magnetostriction cause the movement of a magnetic body.” One of the two authors of the invention was listed as Dr. Rudolf Goldschmidt from Berlin, and the other was written as follows: “Dr. Albert Einstein, formerly residing in Berlin; present residence unknown.”

Magnetostriction, as is known, is the effect of reducing the size of magnetic bodies (usually referring to ferromagnets) when they are magnetized. In the preamble to the patent description, the inventors write that the magnetic compression forces are hampered by the rigidity of the ferromagnet. In order to “make magnetostriction work” (in this case, to set the speaker cone into oscillatory motion), this rigidity must be somehow neutralized and compensated. Einstein and Goldschmidt offer three options for this seemingly intractable problem.

Rice. Three magpitostrictive loudspeaker options

The first option is illustrated in Fig. a. The ferromagnetic (iron) rod B carrying the needle C with the diffuser is screwed into a strong U-shaped magnetic yoke A in such a way that the axial forces compressing the rod are very close to the critical value at which Euler loss of stability occurs - bending of the rod in one direction or another. Windings D are placed on the yoke, through which an electric current passes, modulated by an audio signal. Thus, the stronger the sound, the more strongly the iron rod B is magnetized and, consequently, compressed. Since the rod is placed on the very verge of instability, these small variations in its length lead to strong vibrations in the vertical direction; in this case, a diffuser attached to the middle of the rod generates sound.

The second option (Fig. b) uses the instability of the compressed spring H - rod G system, resting its tip against the hole S. A current modulated by an audio signal passes through the winding D. The time-varying magnetization of the iron rod leads to small fluctuations in its length, which are amplified due to energy of a powerful spring losing stability.

In the third version of the magnetostrictive loudspeaker (Fig. c), a circuit is used with two iron rods B1 and B2, the windings of which are connected in such a way that when the magnetization of one rod increases, the magnetization of the other decreases. By means of rods C1 and C2, the rods are connected to a rocker arm G, suspended on a rod M and attached by guy wires F to the sides of the magnetic yoke A. The rocker arm is rigidly connected to the diffuser W. By screwing the nut P on the rod M, the system is transferred to a state of unstable equilibrium. Due to the antiphase magnetization of rods B1 and B2 with an audio frequency current, their deformations also occur in antiphase - one is compressed, the other is lengthened (the compression is weakened), and the rocker, in accordance with the sound signal, warps, turning relative to point R. In this case, also due to the use of a “hidden "instability, the amplitude of magnetostrictive oscillations increases.

X. Melcher, who got acquainted with the documents of the family of R. Goldschmidt and talked with his son, sets out the history of the appearance of this invention as follows.

R. Goldschmidt (1876-1950) was a good friend of Einstein. A well-known specialist in the field of electrical engineering, at the dawn of the radio era he supervised the installation of the first line of wireless telegraph communication between Europe and America (1914). In 1910, he designed and built the world's first high-frequency machine at 30 kHz with a power of 12 kW, suitable for radio engineering purposes. The machine for transatlantic transmissions already had a power of 150 kW. Goldschmidt was also the author of many inventions aimed at improving sound-reproducing devices (mainly for telephones), high-frequency resonators, etc.

Mutual friends of Einstein and Goldschmidt were the spouses Olga and Bruno Eisner, a famous singer and a famous pianist at that time. Olga Aizner was hard of hearing - a disadvantage that was especially annoying considering her profession. Goldschmidt, as a specialist in sound-reproducing equipment, undertook to help her. He decided to design a hearing aid (work on the creation of such devices was just beginning at that time). Einstein also took part in this activity.

Whether a functioning hearing aid was eventually constructed is unknown. As can be seen from the patent description, the inventors were fascinated by the idea of ​​​​exploiting the previously unused magnetostriction effect, and they developed the loudspeakers we described based on this effect. As far as we know, this was the first sound-reproducing magnetostrictive device. Although magnetostrictive hearing aids have not become widespread and their current counterparts operate on different principles, magnetostriction is used with great success in ultrasonic emitters, which are used in many branches of industry and technology.

For Frau Olga, as Melcher reports, they planned to create a magnetostrictive hearing aid using the phenomenon of so-called bone conduction, i.e. exciting sound vibrations not of the air column in the ear, but directly of the cranial bones, which required great power. It seems that the Einstein-Goldschmidt device fully met this requirement. Perhaps the joint activity with Goldschmidt is not so accidental and, in doing it, Einstein was guided not only by the desire to ease the fate of Frau Eisner. It seems that he could not help but be interested in the technical task itself - after all, we know that he had some experience in designing sound-reproducing devices.

Automatic camera

Talking with Rabindranath Tagore in the early 30s, Einstein recalled his “happy Bern years” and said that while working in the patent office, he invented several technical devices, including a sensitive electrometer (already discussed above) and a device determining the exposure time when taking photographs. Now such a device is called a photo exposure meter.

There is almost no doubt that the operating principle of Einstein's photoexposure meter was based on the photoelectric effect. And who knows, maybe this invention was a by-product of reflections that culminated in the famous 1905 article “On a Heuristic Point of View...”, in which the idea of ​​light quanta was introduced and, with their help, the laws of the photoelectric effect were explained.

It is curious that Einstein retained his interest in devices of this kind for a long time, although, as far as is known, he was never an amateur photographer. Thus, his authoritative biographer F. Frank reports that somewhere in the second half of the 40s, Einstein and one of his closest friends, MD G. Bucchi, “invented a mechanism for automatically adjusting exposure time depending on illumination”)