Changes

==Anecdotes==

==Anecdotes==

*In 1898, young Albert Einstein applied for admission to the Munich Technical Institute and was turned down. The young man, the Institute declared, "showed no promise" as a student. By 1905, he published his explanation of the special [[theory of relativity]].<ref name=anec>[http://web.archive.org/web/20031205122227/http://oaks.nvg.org/sa5ra17.html "Albert Einstein anecdotes"] (2003).  Windsor Castle.  Retrieved from December 5, 2003 archive at Internet Archive on January 23, 2015.</ref>

*In 1898, young Albert Einstein applied for admission to the Munich Technical Institute and was turned down. The young man, the Institute declared, "showed no promise" as a student. By 1905, he published his explanation of the special [[theory of relativity]].<ref name=anec>[https://web.archive.org/web/20031205122227/http://oaks.nvg.org/sa5ra17.html "Albert Einstein anecdotes"] (2003).  Windsor Castle.  Retrieved from December 5, 2003 archive at Internet Archive on January 23, 2015.</ref>

*Einstein came to Princeton University in 1935 and was asked what he would require for his study. he replied: "A desk, some pads and a pencil, and a large wastebasket to hold all of my mistakes." <ref name=anec/>

*Einstein came to Princeton University in 1935 and was asked what he would require for his study. he replied: "A desk, some pads and a pencil, and a large wastebasket to hold all of my mistakes." <ref name=anec/>

*The sculptor Jacob Epstein tells this story:

*The sculptor Jacob Epstein tells this story:

Einstein then wrote a series of papers applying relativity to gravity using the mathematics of Riemannian Geometry, contributing to [[General Relativity]]. Much of the actual mathematics of general relativity was worked out by Marcel Grossman, [[David Hilbert]], and others. Einstein's main contribution was to give an alternate derivation of the field equations, and to apply them to explain an [[anomaly]] in the advance of the perihelion in Mercury's orbit.

Einstein then wrote a series of papers applying relativity to gravity using the mathematics of Riemannian Geometry, contributing to [[General Relativity]]. Much of the actual mathematics of general relativity was worked out by Marcel Grossman, [[David Hilbert]], and others. Einstein's main contribution was to give an alternate derivation of the field equations, and to apply them to explain an [[anomaly]] in the advance of the perihelion in Mercury's orbit.

[[Arthur Eddington]] popularized General Relativity by publishing an explanation of it and by attempting to prove the theory experimentally in a dramatic test.  Eddington embarked on a highly publicized trip into the Atlantic Ocean off Africa in order to observe the bending of [[star]]light passing nearby the [[Sun]] during the total [[solar eclipse]] of May 29, 1919.  Eddington returned with a declaration that he had proven Einstein's theory of General Relativity, making Einstein extremely famous,<ref>Lightman, Alan (September 9, 1997). [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/relativity/ "Relativity and the cosmos"].  PBS.org/WGBH/Nova.  Retrieved on January 24, 2015.  "On November 8, 1919, for example, the ''London Times'' had an article headlined: 'The Revolution In Science/Einstein Versus Newton.'  Two days later, ''The New York Times''' headlines read: 'Lights All Askew In The Heavens/Men Of Science More Or Less Agog Over Results Of Eclipse Observations/Einstein Theory Triumphs.'"</ref> when in fact he had selectively used data to attain this result.  No Nobel Prize was given for relativity.

[[Arthur Eddington]] popularized General Relativity by publishing an explanation of it and by attempting to prove the theory experimentally in a dramatic test.  Eddington embarked on a highly publicized trip into the Atlantic Ocean off Africa in order to observe the bending of [[star]]light passing nearby the [[Sun]] during the total [[solar eclipse]] of May 29, 1919.  Eddington returned with a declaration that he had proven Einstein's theory of General Relativity, making Einstein extremely famous,<ref>Lightman, Alan (September 9, 1997). [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/relativity/ "Relativity and the cosmos"].  PBS.org/WGBH/Nova.  Retrieved on January 24, 2015.  "On November 8, 1919, for example, the ''London Times'' had an article headlined: 'The Revolution In Science/Einstein Versus Newton.'  Two days later, ''The New York Times''' headlines read: 'Lights All Askew In The Heavens/Men Of Science More Or Less Agog Over Results Of Eclipse Observations/Einstein Theory Triumphs.'"</ref> when in fact he had selectively used data to attain this result.  No Nobel Prize was given for relativity.

In April 2004, NASA launched the satellite "Gravity Probe B" to test the ''geodetic precession'' and ''frame dragging'' effects of general relativity.  The successful result of this test was announced on May 4, 2011.<ref>http://prl.aps.org/accepted/L/ea070Y8dQ491d22a28828c95f660a57ac82e7d8c0</ref><ref>http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/306430</ref><ref>http://www.nap.edu/html/gpb/summary.html</ref><ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/73870/title/Gravity_Probe_B_finally_pays_off_</ref><ref>https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gpb/</ref><ref>http://einstein.stanford.edu/</ref><ref>http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/the-gravity-probe-b-bailout</ref><ref>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/nasa-concludes-gravity-probe-b-space-time-experiment-proves-e/</ref>

In April 2004, NASA launched the satellite "Gravity Probe B" to test the ''geodetic precession'' and ''frame dragging'' effects of general relativity.  The successful result of this test was announced on May 4, 2011.<ref>http://prl.aps.org/accepted/L/ea070Y8dQ491d22a28828c95f660a57ac82e7d8c0</ref><ref>http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/306430</ref><ref>http://www.nap.edu/html/gpb/summary.html</ref><ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/73870/title/Gravity_Probe_B_finally_pays_off_</ref><ref>https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gpb/</ref><ref>http://einstein.stanford.edu/</ref><ref>http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/the-gravity-probe-b-bailout</ref><ref>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/nasa-concludes-gravity-probe-b-space-time-experiment-proves-e/</ref>

In 1939 research done by several leading scientists including [[Enrico Fermi]] regarding chain reactions of nuclear fission prompted [[Leo Szilard]] to persuade Einstein to write a letter to [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]],<ref>Einstein, Albert (August 2, 1939). [http://hypertextbook.com/eworld/einstein.shtml "Letter to F. D. Roosevelt, President of the United States"].  Hypertextbook/E-World.  Retrieved on January 25, 2015.</ref> to warn the President about the possibility of nuclear weapons and that Nazi [[Germany]] had already taken an interest in this technology.

In 1939 research done by several leading scientists including [[Enrico Fermi]] regarding chain reactions of nuclear fission prompted [[Leo Szilard]] to persuade Einstein to write a letter to [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]],<ref>Einstein, Albert (August 2, 1939). [http://hypertextbook.com/eworld/einstein.shtml "Letter to F. D. Roosevelt, President of the United States"].  Hypertextbook/E-World.  Retrieved on January 25, 2015.</ref> to warn the President about the possibility of nuclear weapons and that Nazi [[Germany]] had already taken an interest in this technology.

Einstein himself had never been involved in the [[Manhattan project]]. He was considered a security risk, as he was a member, sponsor, or affiliated with thirty-four communist fronts between 1937 and 1954.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20040810044240/http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/einstein.htm "Albert Einstein"] (2004).  Federal Bureau of Investigation website.  Retrieved from August 10, 2004 archive at Internet Archive on January 25, 2015.</ref> Later he condemned the use of nuclear weapons.

Einstein himself had never been involved in the [[Manhattan project]]. He was considered a security risk, as he was a member, sponsor, or affiliated with thirty-four communist fronts between 1937 and 1954.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040810044240/http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/einstein.htm "Albert Einstein"] (2004).  Federal Bureau of Investigation website.  Retrieved from August 10, 2004 archive at Internet Archive on January 25, 2015.</ref> Later he condemned the use of nuclear weapons.

==Controversy surrounding his death==

==Controversy surrounding his death==

Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey, then a pathologist, performed the autopsy on Einstein in the [[Princeton Medical Center]] several hours after his death.  Upon completion, Dr. Harvey removed the brain and eyes.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4602913 "The long strange journey of Einstein's brain"] (April 18, 2005).  Review and excerpt from Burrell, Brian (2005), ''Postcards from the Brain Museum''.  National Public Radio website.    Retrieved on January 25, 2015.</ref>  There is controversy about whether or not Harvey had consent from the Einstein family to remove the brain and keep it, though letters from Otto Nathan, executor of the Einstein estate, suggest that Harvey did indeed have permission to keep the brain, as long as research performed on it was only described in scientific journals.

Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey, then a pathologist, performed the autopsy on Einstein in the [[Princeton Medical Center]] several hours after his death.  Upon completion, Dr. Harvey removed the brain and eyes.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4602913 "The long strange journey of Einstein's brain"] (April 18, 2005).  Review and excerpt from Burrell, Brian (2005), ''Postcards from the Brain Museum''.  National Public Radio website.    Retrieved on January 25, 2015.</ref>  There is controversy about whether or not Harvey had consent from the Einstein family to remove the brain and keep it, though letters from Otto Nathan, executor of the Einstein estate, suggest that Harvey did indeed have permission to keep the brain, as long as research performed on it was only described in scientific journals.

The brain was photographed and sliced into 240 pieces in order to be preserved and further studied.  Harvey hoped some uniqueness would be discovered that distinguished Einstein's brain as "genius".  

The brain was photographed and sliced into 240 pieces in order to be preserved and further studied.  Harvey hoped some uniqueness would be discovered that distinguished Einstein's brain as "genius".  

== Unsupported attributions ==

== Unsupported attributions ==

* Many ideas and quotes are falsely attributed to Einstein. He did not invent very much of we now call [[special relativity]]. The Principle of Relativity, that the law of physics should be the same in all inertial frames, had already been published before Einstein.<ref>Logunov, A. A. (2005).  [http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0408077 ''Henry Poincaré and Relativity Theory''].  Retrieved from Cornell University arXiv.org archive on January 28, 2015.</ref> He did not discover the [[Lorentz transformation]], or the Lorentz invariance of [[Maxwell's Equations]] for electromagnetism.<ref>Macrossan, Michael N. (1986) [http://eprint.uq.edu.au/archive/00002307/ "A note on relativity before Einstein"].  ''British Journal for the Philosophy of Science'', vol. 37, no. 2:, pp. 232-234.  Retrieved from University of Queensland [Australia]/UQ eSpace archive on January 28, 2015.</ref> He was not the first to propose that the [[speed of light]] is constant for all observers, or that "[[the aether]]" is superfluous and not observable.<ref>Rothman, Tony (March–April 2006).  [http://web.archive.org/web/20070710071317/http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/49611/page/1?&print=yes "Lost in Einstein's shadow"].  ''American Scientist'', vol. 94, no. 2, p. 112.  Retrieved on January 28, 2015.</ref> He was not the first to recognize and explain how special relativity causes an ambiguity in defining simultaneity.<ref>Fric, Jacques (June 2003).  [http://www.everythingimportant.org/relativity/Poincare.htm "Henri Poincaré:  A decisive contribution to Special Relativity, the short story"].  www.everythingimportant.org.  Retrieved on January 28, 2015.</ref> He did not combine space and time into a four-dimensional [[spacetime]] in his special relativity papers until others had been doing it for a couple of years.

* Many ideas and quotes are falsely attributed to Einstein. He did not invent very much of we now call [[special relativity]]. The Principle of Relativity, that the law of physics should be the same in all inertial frames, had already been published before Einstein.<ref>Logunov, A. A. (2005).  [https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0408077 ''Henry Poincaré and Relativity Theory''].  Retrieved from Cornell University arXiv.org archive on January 28, 2015.</ref> He did not discover the [[Lorentz transformation]], or the Lorentz invariance of [[Maxwell's Equations]] for electromagnetism.<ref>Macrossan, Michael N. (1986) [http://eprint.uq.edu.au/archive/00002307/ "A note on relativity before Einstein"].  ''British Journal for the Philosophy of Science'', vol. 37, no. 2:, pp. 232-234.  Retrieved from University of Queensland [Australia]/UQ eSpace archive on January 28, 2015.</ref> He was not the first to propose that the [[speed of light]] is constant for all observers, or that "[[the aether]]" is superfluous and not observable.<ref>Rothman, Tony (March–April 2006).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20070710071317/http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/49611/page/1?&print=yes "Lost in Einstein's shadow"].  ''American Scientist'', vol. 94, no. 2, p. 112.  Retrieved on January 28, 2015.</ref> He was not the first to recognize and explain how special relativity causes an ambiguity in defining simultaneity.<ref>Fric, Jacques (June 2003).  [http://www.everythingimportant.org/relativity/Poincare.htm "Henri Poincaré:  A decisive contribution to Special Relativity, the short story"].  www.everythingimportant.org.  Retrieved on January 28, 2015.</ref> He did not combine space and time into a four-dimensional [[spacetime]] in his special relativity papers until others had been doing it for a couple of years.

* Einstein did not invent the term "relativity theory", and did not even like the term. He called it the "so-called relativity theory" until 1911. Einstein did not banish the ether from Physics. In a 1920 lecture, he said, "More careful reflection teaches us, however, that the special theory of relativity does not compel us to deny æther."<ref>Quoted in Tipler, Frank J., astrophysicist of Tulane University (October 26, 2008). [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1271310 "The Obama-Tribe 'Curvature of constitutional space' paper is crackpot physics"].  Social Science Research Network website.  Retrieved on January 31, 2015.</ref>

* Einstein did not invent the term "relativity theory", and did not even like the term. He called it the "so-called relativity theory" until 1911. Einstein did not banish the ether from Physics. In a 1920 lecture, he said, "More careful reflection teaches us, however, that the special theory of relativity does not compel us to deny æther."<ref>Quoted in Tipler, Frank J., astrophysicist of Tulane University (October 26, 2008). [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1271310 "The Obama-Tribe 'Curvature of constitutional space' paper is crackpot physics"].  Social Science Research Network website.  Retrieved on January 31, 2015.</ref>

* Einstein was not the first to observe the equation ''E'' = ''mc''² as a consequence of special relativity,<ref>Henri Poincaré published it in 1900.  Hermann, Robert A. (January 1, 2004).  [http://web.archive.org/web/20081217082358/http://www.serve.com/herrmann/einpdf.pdf "''E'' = ''mc''² is not Einstein's discovery"].  Retrieved from December 17, 2008 archive at Internet Archive on January 24, 2015.</ref> or to foresee its application to [[nuclear binding]] energies or [[antimatter]] annihilation.  

* Einstein was not the first to observe the equation ''E'' = ''mc''² as a consequence of special relativity,<ref>Henri Poincaré published it in 1900.  Hermann, Robert A. (January 1, 2004).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20081217082358/http://www.serve.com/herrmann/einpdf.pdf "''E'' = ''mc''² is not Einstein's discovery"].  Retrieved from December 17, 2008 archive at Internet Archive on January 24, 2015.</ref> or to foresee its application to [[nuclear binding]] energies or [[antimatter]] annihilation.  

* Einstein only published faulty and incomplete proofs.<ref>Multiple references:

* Einstein only published faulty and incomplete proofs.<ref>Multiple references:

*Ohanian, Hans C. (September 2008).  [http://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Mistakes-Human-Failings-Genius/dp/0393062937 ''Einstein's Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius''].  Retrieved on January 31, 2015.

*Ohanian, Hans C. (September 2008).  [https://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Mistakes-Human-Failings-Genius/dp/0393062937 ''Einstein's Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius''].  Retrieved on January 31, 2015.

*[http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/01-einstein.s-23-biggest-mistakes "Einstein's 23 biggest mistakes"] (September 1, 2008).  Discover magazine website.  Retrieved on January 31, 2015.</ref>

*[http://discovermagazine.com/2008/sep/01-einstein.s-23-biggest-mistakes "Einstein's 23 biggest mistakes"] (September 1, 2008).  Discover magazine website.  Retrieved on January 31, 2015.</ref>

* He did not foresee a nuclear [[chain reaction]] and had to be persuaded about the possibility of an [[atomic bomb]].  

* He did not foresee a nuclear [[chain reaction]] and had to be persuaded about the possibility of an [[atomic bomb]].  

* However, Einstein's interpretation of the ''E'' = ''mc''² equation was fairly popular.  

* However, Einstein's interpretation of the ''E'' = ''mc''² equation was fairly popular.  

* According to Einstein, a body losing energy through heat or [[radiation]] was losing mass.<ref>Multiple references:

* According to Einstein, a body losing energy through heat or [[radiation]] was losing mass.<ref>Multiple references:

*Einstein, Albert (September 27, 1905).  [http://web.archive.org/web/20081217082511/http://www.physik.uni-augsburg.de/annalen/history/papers/1905_18_639-641.pdf "Ist die Trägheit eines Körpers von dessen Energieinhalt abhängig?"], ''Annalen der Physik'', vol. 18, pp. 639–643.  Retrieved from December 17, 2008 Internet Archive archive of University of Augsburg/Annalen der Physik website on January 31, 2015.

*Einstein, Albert (September 27, 1905).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20081217082511/http://www.physik.uni-augsburg.de/annalen/history/papers/1905_18_639-641.pdf "Ist die Trägheit eines Körpers von dessen Energieinhalt abhängig?"], ''Annalen der Physik'', vol. 18, pp. 639–643.  Retrieved from December 17, 2008 Internet Archive archive of University of Augsburg/Annalen der Physik website on January 31, 2015.

*English translation:  Einstein, Albert (September 27, 1905).  [http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/E_mc2/www/ Hypertext of "Does the inertia of a body depend on its energy-content?"].  Translated in Perrett, Wilfrid and Jeffery, George B. (1923), ''The Principle of Relativity'' (London: Methuen), pp. 67-71.  Hypertext retrieved from Fourmilab [Switzerland] website on January 31, 2015.</ref>

*English translation:  Einstein, Albert (September 27, 1905).  [http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/E_mc2/www/ Hypertext of "Does the inertia of a body depend on its energy-content?"].  Translated in Perrett, Wilfrid and Jeffery, George B. (1923), ''The Principle of Relativity'' (London: Methuen), pp. 67-71.  Hypertext retrieved from Fourmilab [Switzerland] website on January 31, 2015.</ref>

* Einstein did not originate the idea of using non-Euclidean geometry<ref>His friend Paul Ehrenfest pointed out the need for curved space.  Kaku, Michio (2014).  [https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/181349/Albert-Einstein "Albert Einstein"].  ''Encyclopedia Britannica''.  Retrieved on February 1, 2015.</ref> [[metric tensor]]s to reconcile gravity with special relativity.<ref>Walter, Scott (2006).  [http://web.archive.org/web/20061205041327/http://univ-nancy2.fr/DepPhilo/walter/papers/b4.pdf "Breaking in the 4-vectors: the four-dimensional movement in gravitation, 1905–1910"].  University of Nancy 2 [France]/Department of Philosophy/Scott Walter website.  Retrieved from December 5, 2006 archive at Internet Archive on February 1, 2015.</ref> It was not his idea to describe gravity in [[covariant equations]], and he published papers supposedly showing that it was impossible.<ref>Norton, John D. (March 1993).  [http://www.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/papers/decades_re-set.pdf "General covariance and the foundation of general relativity:  eight decades of dispute"].  ''Reports on Progress in Physics'', no. 56, pp. 791-858.  Retrieved from University of Pittsburgh/John D. Norton website on February 2, 2015.</ref> He did not discover the Lagrangian formulation of [[general relativity]], and was not the first to publish the field equations. He did not foresee the [[expansion of the universe]] (although this expansion is consistent with the field equations), the possibility of [[black hole]]s, or [[dark energy]].

* Einstein did not originate the idea of using non-Euclidean geometry<ref>His friend Paul Ehrenfest pointed out the need for curved space.  Kaku, Michio (2014).  [https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/181349/Albert-Einstein "Albert Einstein"].  ''Encyclopedia Britannica''.  Retrieved on February 1, 2015.</ref> [[metric tensor]]s to reconcile gravity with special relativity.<ref>Walter, Scott (2006).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20061205041327/http://univ-nancy2.fr/DepPhilo/walter/papers/b4.pdf "Breaking in the 4-vectors: the four-dimensional movement in gravitation, 1905–1910"].  University of Nancy 2 [France]/Department of Philosophy/Scott Walter website.  Retrieved from December 5, 2006 archive at Internet Archive on February 1, 2015.</ref> It was not his idea to describe gravity in [[covariant equations]], and he published papers supposedly showing that it was impossible.<ref>Norton, John D. (March 1993).  [http://www.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/papers/decades_re-set.pdf "General covariance and the foundation of general relativity:  eight decades of dispute"].  ''Reports on Progress in Physics'', no. 56, pp. 791-858.  Retrieved from University of Pittsburgh/John D. Norton website on February 2, 2015.</ref> He did not discover the Lagrangian formulation of [[general relativity]], and was not the first to publish the field equations. He did not foresee the [[expansion of the universe]] (although this expansion is consistent with the field equations), the possibility of [[black hole]]s, or [[dark energy]].

* Einstein did not originate the idea that light is observable as particles. Max Planck published that a few years before Einstein, and received a Nobel prize for it.

* Einstein did not originate the idea that light is observable as particles. Max Planck published that a few years before Einstein, and received a Nobel prize for it.