Today is Einstein's birthday. If he were still alive he'd be 131. Those of you who have been reading here for a long time know that Einstein was (and is) one of my "culture heroes." When I was a kid I sent him birthday cards (yes, I'm that old) and when he died made a scrap book filled with news clippings. One of the great loves of my younger life gave me an Einstein bust as a present and it still sits on my desk, more than 40 years later (she reads the blog from across the ocean, so I hope she sees this! Mrs. R. knows and likes her so this isn't a guilty secret). I also have first editions of his second and third published works and a fairly large library of books by and about him. Unlike quantum mechanics, relativity theory is essentially the achievement of a single person, Albert Einstein. Both are beautiful theories and quantum theory may be the most successful theory in the history of science. But relativity is no slouch, either, having been confirmed again as recently as this week. Not bad.
Given all this, it seems fitting to commemorate the occasion on the blog. Enjoy:
Happy birthday, Albert, hero of my youth. Still a hero.
Physical Science
Comments
Some people shouldn't have to die. Now, about this:
"One of the great loves of my younger life gave me an Einstein bust as a present and it still sits on my desk"
How about a Karl Rove bust? Check this vid from Comedy Network Canada:
http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/#clip274216
I also have reason to celebrate. I'm a mathematician and it's Pi Day. YAY!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pi_pie2.jpg
Posted by: Alex | March 14, 2010 8:11 PM
"When I was a kid I sent him birthday cards (yes, I'm that old)"
Did you know him personally? That would be amazing. I come from a family of mathematicians and my grandfather met Johann von Neumann at a math conference in the 1950s. Alex, who posted above, had a teacher of Mathematical Logic who met Kurt Godel in the 1970s.
Posted by: Marc | March 15, 2010 12:22 AM
While we're at it, has anyone else here read the Logicomix graphic novel?
Posted by: Paula | March 15, 2010 7:31 AM
Marc: Alas, I never met him (I was in elementary school when he died). But I later had a boss, who was/is a good friend of mine, who post doc'd for Willie Feller and had an office next door to Feynman and was asked one day to drive Prof. Einstein home to Mercer Street. I have known (because they were Professors of mine) Walter Rudin and Stephen Kleene, among others.
Posted by: revere | March 15, 2010 9:20 AM
happy birthday einstein!
Posted by: Tobby | March 16, 2010 12:11 PM