| Term Paper Title | Albert Einstein |
| # of Words | 1727 |
| # of Pages (250 words per page double spaced) | 6.91 |
Albert Einstein
Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there is one
whose name is known by almost all living people. While most of these do not understand
this man's work, everyone knows that its impact on the world of science is astonishing. Yes,
many have heard of Albert Einstein's General Theory of relativity, but few know about the
intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called, "The greatest single
achievement of human thought."
Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1874. Before his first birthday, his family
had moved to Munich where young Albert's father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a
small electro-chemical business. He was fortunate to have an excellent family with which he
held a strong relationship. Albert's mother, Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for
music and literature, and it was she that first introduced her son to the violin in which he
found much joy and relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and
they could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the countryside near
Munich.
As a child, Einstein's sense of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy of his was
his father's compass, and he often marvelled at his uncle's explanations of algebra. Although
young Albert was intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow
learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the age of nine even led some teachers
to believe he was disabled.
Einstein's post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was ten. It was
here that he first encountered the German spirit through the school's strict disciplinary
policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was
probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge at home. He began
not with science, but with religion. He avidly studied the Bible seeking truth, but this
religious fervor soon died down when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To
him, these seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With this new knowledge he
disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from Luitpold Gymnasium being
considered a disruptive influence.
Feeling that he could no longer deal with the German mentality, Einstein moved to
Switzerland where he continued his education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the
Federal Institute of Technology but failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study
locally for one year until he finally passed the school's evaluation. The Institute allowed
Einstein to meet many other students that shared his curiosity, and It was here that his
studies turned mainly to Physics. He quickly learned that while physicists had generally
agreed on major principals in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to
disprove outdated theories. Since most of Einstein's teachers ignored these new ideas, he
was again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he graduated from the Institute and then
achieved citizenship to Switzerland.
Einstein became a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office in 1902. This job had little to do with
physics, but he was able to satiate his curiosity by figuring out how new inventions worked.
The most important part of Einstein's occupation was that it allowed him enough time to
pursue his own line of research. As his ideas began to develop, he published them in
specialist journals. Though he was still unknown to the scientific world, he began to attract a
large circle of friends and admirers. A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed
into a social club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science. In 1903 he
married Mileva Meric, a mathematician friend.
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