Albert Einstein, a name synonymous with genius, forever altered our understanding of the universe and our place in it through his groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics.
Born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany, Einstein’s intellectual prowess led him to become one of the most renowned scientists in history. His work, including the formulation of the theory of relativity, catapulted him to international fame, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
Einstein’s importance extends beyond his scientific achievements; he was a symbol of intellectual curiosity, a champion of civil rights, and a tireless advocate for peace. His iconic equation, E=mc2, encapsulates his profound insights into the relationship between energy and mass, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of the physical world.
Despite his towering intellect and amazing insights, Einstein had a playful sense of humor. He was known for his absent-mindedness, often losing track of everyday items like his keys or socks. His unruly hair, a signature feature, became a quirky symbol of his brilliance, a testament to a mind ceaselessly engaged in cosmic contemplation.
Albert Einstein’s wife often suggested that he dress more professionally when he was heading off to work. “Why should I?” he would invariably argue. “Everyone knows me there.”
When the time came for Einstein to attend his first major conference, his wife begged him to dress up a bit. “Why should I?” said Einstein. “No one knows me there.”
There’s a famous story about Einstein and his driver. It took place early in his career, before he’d won the Nobel Prize and before his image became an iconic symbol of science. At the time the two were traveling around universities for Einstein to lecture on his newly introduced theory of relativity. One day on their way to a university, his driver jokingly said to him, "Mr. Einstein, I've heard this lecture of yours more than 30 times. I've learned it by heart, and I bet I could hold it myself". "Well, I'll give you the chance," Einstein replied. "They don't know me at the next university, so when we get there, I'll put your hat on my head and you introduce yourself as Einstein and you hold the lecture." At the lecture hall, the driver delivered Einstein's lecture flawlessly. When he finished and the two were getting ready to leave, one of the professors stopped the pseudo-Einstein (the real driver) and asked him a very difficult question. The purpose of the question was not to accumulate knowledge but to make Einstein feel uncomfortable. The driver thought quickly. "The answer to this problem is so simple..." he replied. "I'm surprised you have to ask me. In fact, to show you how simple it is, I'll get my driver to come over here and answer your question." The real Einstein then stood up and gave a flawless answer to the professor's question, while still pretending to be the driver.
Once, when asked to explain his theory of relativity, Einstein responded with a smile, “When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.”
Albert Einstein’s intelligence test.
Over a century ago, Albert Einstein devised a difficult puzzle that he referred to as his “intelligence test” - what we’re calling “The Einstein Mystery”. The famous scientist claimed that only 2% of people could solve it. Why? Because the clues to the riddle relied on orderly thinking, logic, and a heaping dose of patience. All of which, apparently, the average person has in very short supply.
If you fail the test, it doesn't mean you're not intelligent. It just means you're more scattered in your thinking, or you lose your patience more easily than the ones who pass it. You are provided with a series of assumptions, clues, with simply one question to find the answer to at the end.
Solving it shouldn't take more than 30 minutes or so. We recommend a quiet place, and be sure to follow the clues carefully.
Assumptions:
1. There are five houses, each a different color.
2. In each house lives one person, each of a different nationality.
3. Each resident likes a certain drink, smokes a certain brand of cigarettes, and owns a certain pet.
4. None of the 5 people drink the same drink, smoke the same brand of cigarettes, nor own the same pet.
Clues:
a. The Brit lives in the red house;
b. The Swede has a dog;
c. The Dane enjoys drinking tea;
d. The green house is to the left of the white house;
e. The person who stays in the green house drinks coffee;
f. The person who smokes Pall Mall has a bird;
g. The person who stays in the middle house drinks milk;
h. The person who stays in the yellow house smokes Dunhill;
i. The Norwegian lives in the first house;
j. The Marlboro smoker lives next to the one with a cat;
k. The person who owns a horse lives next to the Dunhill smoker;
l. The Camel smoker drinks beer;
m. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house;
n. The German smokes Rothmans;
o. The Marlboro smoker has a neighbor who drinks water.
Question: Who owns the fish tank?
Give us your answers in the comments below. And you don’t need to cheat by searching online to solve this. Because “The Einstein Mystery” also comes with the correct answer – which we’ll be providing to you in our Forum’s - Way Out There section next week. That will give you time to figure it out for yourself first.
Good luck!
Didn’t know he had a sense of humor! Funny story about the driver
Btw I initially tried doing exactly what was suggested I took a wrong turn somewhere.
The guy who smokes Marlboros , that’s the best I could do….. BTW Einsteins explanation of relativity was perfect. First time I’ve understood it.
We've haven't seen anyone comment with their answer?? But we're giving you the answer anyway. We've posted it in our Forums section. You can find it by clicking on Way Out There.