ALBERT EINSTEIN

(1879-1955)

In the second half of XX century it was a paragon of scientific genius. This is strange. Sciences are different, some naturalists have made major discoveries in several of them, created new scientific directions. And Einstein was a physicist and any other areas of knowledge, such as earth science and life, not interested. The charges relate to his theory of the phenomena is very far removed from everyday life. They gave much food science-fiction writer, told reporters. Perhaps this played a significant role in promoting not so much his ideas and personality, as the name. Heard all about him, and his portraits have seen, and that is the essence of the theory of relativity, or for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize, which he was a man, tell a few.

Not for us to judge whether he is worthy of its unprecedented for a scientist to fame. Disputes about his theory of relativity does not fall silent to this day. It is a credit to the originality of his thought, but can not give it a final estimate, though without his contribution to physics is great. What is indisputable - he was very nice, honest, kind and wise man.

As he wrote his biographer, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, BG Kuznetsov, "Einstein never thought about his genius and answered characteristic, unusually honest, quite childish laughter at every attempt to attach to his name this epithet. Reflections on the self are part of the package "only personal," from which the genius is released, becoming a spokesman of "supra-personal" process ".

His autobiographical sketch of Einstein began a nontrivial way: "Here I sit here and write a 68 year of life, something like his own obituary . . . " But the reports are not about life and how it captured the knowledge of the laws of the Universe, expressed mathematical language. And he explained: "The main thing in life is my stock in what he thinks, not what he does or feels. Hence, the obituary can be largely confine the ideas that played a significant role in my endeavors.

Photo — «Albert Einstein»

Of course his life had not evolved smoothly, there have been some tragic moments and strong emotions, and very interesting meeting. But all this was for him not the greatest. According to him, "the joy of seeing and understanding is the most wonderful gift of nature. "

As written, BG Kuznetsov, "Einstein says in his autobiography, as in his mind all the mundane, transient, personal, giving way to all-embracing desire for knowledge of the real world in its unity . . .

- . . . Only a man who never thought of himself, he could so detached from the whole sequence to develop a personal theory, bursting with obvious observation, with clear logic, a thousand-year tradition, the theory of "mad" at the very high and noble sense of the words. In this sense, spiritual purity Einstein seems to us inseparable from the titanic force of thought. "

Early years of Albert Einstein did not heralded the emergence of scientific genius. He was born in germanskom city of Ulm, on the left bank of the Danube at the foot of the Swabian Alps, in the family of the owner of electrical stores. In Catholic school, and then in high school, he put it mildly, not shining success in school. With six years learning to play the violin - also without much success. It is well absorbed only that his excited and fascinated. Thus razuchivaya sonatas by Mozart, he felt the joy of harmony and soon began to play quite well. Similarly affected him . . . textbook geometry. Perhaps, and here it captured the feeling of harmony.

It is different from the closed character. The writer of the years of his childhood A. Moszkowski said: "He was called a sissy for a morbid love of truth and justice. What if others seem painful, it is now an expression of native, ineradicable instinct. Who knew of Einstein as a man and a scientist, that it is clear that the children?s illness was only a harbinger of its indestructible moral health. "

He studied Einstein in Zurich Polytechnic Institute (also without much success). Teacher of Mathematics, a talented scientist Hermann Minkowski later, after reading the first article of Einstein, was surprised: from this student, he had not expected anything like this.

Photo — «Albert Einstein»

Although nothing surprising happened. The ability of a student to assimilate "ready" knowledge, very rarely combined with the talent of the creator, the discoverer of the new.

After graduation, he had to think not about his scientific pursuits, but about food. He taught at the school and college, interrupted somehow, friends helped him get a job. Sometimes they must not sweet. Although he did not lose heart, calling himself "a gay finches. " A year went by, began in 1902-th. And then he lucky: thanks to the patronage of his friend took an expert in the Berne Patent Office.

Began truly "stellar years" in his life. After the service, he was free to engage in scientific research - without any experiments, theoretically, by reflection, comparison of facts and formulas he "extort" from nature?s laws. After the first articles published in 1905, three small-scale but very intensive on the content of work. He created the concept of a photon of light, explaining the photoelectric effect, explained Brownian motion, created a special theory of relativity (in the article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies").

In one letter, he outlined the essence of his theory: "In ancient times it was known that the motion is perceived only as a relative. In contrast to this fact physics based on the concept of absolute motion. In optics are based on the idea of a special, different from other traffic. So consider the motion in the ether. The latter include all the movements of material bodies. Thus, the ether has embodied the concept of absolute rest, associated with emptiness. If fixed, filling the entire space of the ether did exist, for it could be considered a movement that would gain an absolute sense. This concept could be the basis of mechanics. Attempts to find such a privilege motion in a hypothetical ether were unsuccessful. Then back to the problem of motion in the air, and the theory of relativity did it systematically. It starts from the assumption that there is no preferred states of motion in nature and examines the findings from this assumption.

Photo — «Albert Einstein»

Her method is similar to the method of thermodynamics, the latter is nothing more than a systematic response to the question: what should be the laws of nature to perpetual motion was possible. "

He received recognition. He became professor of theoretical physics in Zurich, Prague, Berlin, where he headed the Institute of Physics. During these years, he formulated a general theory of relativity, and in 1921 was awarded the Nobel Prize for his services in the field of mathematical physics and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect. " Not wishing to cooperate with the Nazis, he emigrated to the United States, where he worked at the Princeton Institute for Basic Research.

Einstein wrote: "Ideals, illuminating my path and gave me the courage and bravery, were good, beauty and truth. Without a sense of solidarity with those who share my beliefs, without persecution eternally elusive objective in the art and science of life would seem to me absolutely empty.

These were not just fine words, or a desire to present themselves in a light halo (and that both were alien to Einstein).

Such were the principles of his life. They are implicitly reflected in his autobiography, mentioned above (it is very useful to read everyone who is interested in the way of knowledge). He tells her about his movements in scientific thought, which are determined by the works and insights of scientists. About me, he mentioned, among many - not from false modesty, but because of the objectivity and integrity, a clear understanding of "catholicity" of scientific creativity. He belonged to the knowledge of how the search for truth and meaning of life.

"Even as a fairly precocious young man - recalled Einstein - I am keenly aware of the insignificance of the hopes and aspirations, which are driven through the lives of most people, giving them no rest. Soon I saw and cruelty of this race . . . "Knowledge of the World" beckoned as a liberation . . . ". In his essay, "Causes of scientific research," he spoke in the same spirit: "As Schopenhauer, I first of all, I think that one of the strongest motives that lead to the art and science - is the desire to escape from everyday life with its excruciating cruelty and inconsolable emptiness away from the bonds of ever-changing whims of their own.

Photo — «Albert Einstein»

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Notice how he wrote about his contemporaries. "The true moral grandeur of his personality was the reason that caused yaruyu hatred many intellectuals, most likely limited . . . I think a big success for myself what I knew of such a highly educated and spiritually pure man "(about Paul Langevin). "Even in times like ours, where political passions and brute force hang like swords over the heads of anxious and cowardly people, the banner of the ideal of our search for truth is kept high in purity. This ideal - the eternal link that unites scientists of all ages and countries, quite a rarity is reflected in the personality of Max Planck. "Today we are pleased and gratefully remember the man who more than anyone else in the West, the liberation of minds from the shackles of religious and scientific dogma . . . Their work and the greatness of his personality Copernicus appealed to people to be modest. "The unusual absence of his human weaknesses not acted on humiliating ones. Everyone felt his superiority, but it did not overwhelm anyone, because it . . . always showed kindness to all (about Heinrich Antoon Lorentz).

Finally, another his opinion, referring to the Maria Sklodowska-Curie, but like the previous characteristics, helps to understand how he himself was: "the moral qualities of an outstanding personality are probably more important for this generation and the entire course of history than purely intellectual achievements. The latter depends on the greatness of nature to a much greater extent than is commonly assumed.