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Albert Einstein is undeniably one of history's most brilliant scientists. Yet, like many iconic figures, certain aspects of his life have been misrepresented or lost with time. Upon delving deeper, we uncover fascinating details about his life and work that continue to intrigue and even astonish us.
We’ve even included a bonus challenge: the “Einstein Puzzle” – a brain teaser that doesn’t require any physics knowledge or a college degree. Your only task is to figure out who owns the fish... and see if you're among the 2 percent who can solve it.
10. The Disputed Authorship of the General Theory of Relativity
The story behind the discovery of the general theory of relativity is clouded by serious yet lesser-known allegations of plagiarism. German scientists Albert Einstein and David Hilbert, along with their supporters, became embroiled in a dispute over who should be credited with the theory. Hilbert claimed to have developed the theory first, accusing Einstein of copying his work. Einstein, on the other hand, denied the allegations, asserting that Hilbert had plagiarized some of his earlier papers.
Initially, many believed that both scientists had independently arrived at the general theory of relativity, with Hilbert submitting a paper containing the correct equations five days ahead of Einstein. However, upon further investigation by historians, it was revealed that Hilbert had borrowed ideas from Einstein’s work without giving proper acknowledgment.
It turns out that Hilbert’s original proofs lacked a crucial step, which made them incorrect. By the time his paper was published months later, Hilbert had fixed his mistake. His revised work then aligned with Einstein’s earlier proofs, which had already been published much earlier.
9. He Did Not Fail In High School
Einstein did not fail high school. In fact, he was such a prodigy in mathematics that he was already studying calculus at the age of 12—three years ahead of his peers. By the time he was 15, Einstein had written an advanced essay that laid the groundwork for his future theories of relativity.
The idea that Einstein failed in high school is a myth, stemming from a misunderstanding of the grading systems between German and Swiss schools. When Einstein switched from a German school to the Canton School in Aargau, Switzerland, the grading scale was reversed. The lowest grade of 6 in Germany became the highest in Switzerland, while the top grade of 1 in Germany became the lowest in Switzerland. This led to confusion regarding his academic performance.
However, Einstein did fail his college entrance exam. Before moving to Aargau, he had taken the exam to enter the Federal Polytechnic School in Switzerland. While he excelled in math and physics, his scores in several other subjects, particularly French, were not as strong, which led to his failure in the exam.
8. His Inventions
Throughout his life, Einstein was credited with several inventions, including the Einstein refrigerator, which he co-developed with his friend and fellow physicist Leo Szilard. Unlike conventional refrigerators, this design didn’t rely on electricity. Instead, it employed an absorption process, utilizing pressure changes between gases and liquids to cool the food chamber.
The inspiration behind Einstein’s refrigerator invention came after he heard about a tragic incident involving a German family who died from inhaling toxic gases leaking from a regular refrigerator. In the 1800s, faulty seals in mechanical compressors often caused harmful gases like sulfur dioxide and methyl chloride to escape.
Einstein’s inventive spirit also extended to a unique blouse design. The blouse featured two sets of buttons sewn parallel to each other. One set catered to a slimmer person, while the other fit a heavier person. This clever design allowed people to adjust the fit, so someone who gained or lost weight could simply use the second set of buttons instead of buying a new blouse.
7. The Loophole That Could Make The United States A Dictatorship
Kurt Gödel was among the scientists who fled Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. Unlike Einstein, Gödel faced significant challenges in obtaining American citizenship. When he was finally called for a citizenship interview, he was asked to bring two individuals to vouch for his character. Gödel brought along his friends, Oskar Morgenstern and Einstein.
Gödel had studied extensively in preparation for the interview, which just so happened to be conducted by Judge Phillip Forman, a friend of Einstein. During the interview, when Forman remarked that the United States would never become a dictatorship, Gödel disagreed, arguing that there was a possibility the US could indeed become one due to a loophole in the Constitution.
Gödel was about to elaborate on his theory, but Einstein quickly interrupted him, as Gödel’s explanation could have jeopardized his chances of obtaining citizenship. Judge Forman swiftly moved on with the interview, and Gödel eventually became a US citizen.
This incident only became known because Morgenstern later documented it in his diary. However, he never revealed what the loophole was or how it could potentially turn the United States into a dictatorship. The exact part of the Constitution Gödel had in mind remains unclear, though some speculate that it might have been Article V, which allows for amendments to the Constitution. Certain amendments, it is thought, could legally dismantle the Constitution.
6. The FBI Suspected He Was A Soviet Spy
The FBI kept a close watch on Einstein from 1933, when he first arrived in the United States, until his death in 1955. They regularly tapped his phone, intercepted his mail, and even searched through his trash looking for evidence that he was involved in any suspicious activities, including espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union. At one point, the FBI even collaborated with the Immigration and Naturalization Service to find a way to deport him. They suspected he was either a radical anti-government figure or a communist, based on his political beliefs and his connections to antiwar and human rights movements.
Before Einstein’s arrival in the US, the Woman Patriot Corporation sent a 16-page letter to the State Department, protesting his entry. They argued that, in fact, Joseph Stalin had fewer ties to communist groups than Einstein.
As a result, the State Department interrogated Einstein thoroughly about his political views before granting him a visa. Frustrated, Einstein angrily responded to his interviewers, telling them that the American people had begged him to come to the US, and he would not tolerate being treated as a suspect. After becoming a citizen, Einstein remained in the US, despite knowing he was under surveillance. On one occasion, he even told a Polish ambassador that their conversation was being secretly recorded.
5. He Regretted His Role in the Creation of the Atomic Bomb
Although Einstein was never directly involved in the Manhattan Project, the secret U.S. initiative that led to the development of the first atomic bombs during World War II, his work indirectly contributed to the creation of nuclear weapons. Despite his desire to participate, Einstein was denied the necessary security clearance, and those working on the project were prohibited from interacting with him.
Einstein’s only role was signing a letter, along with physicist Leo Szilard, urging President Franklin Roosevelt to begin research on the atomic bomb. This letter was written after the physicists learned of German scientists' advancements in uranium fission.
Although fully aware of the devastating power of the atomic bomb, Einstein became involved out of concern that Germany might develop it first. However, he later expressed deep regret over his decision to write and sign the letter. Upon learning that the United States had dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, he famously lamented, 'Woe is me.' Einstein later admitted that he would have never signed the letter had he known that the Germans would not succeed in creating the bomb.
4. Eduard Einstein
Eduard, born in 1910, was Einstein's second son with his first wife, Mileva Maric. Often referred to by the nickname 'Tete' or 'Tetel,' Eduard struggled with frequent illness as a child and was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 20. After their divorce in 1919, Mileva initially cared for Eduard but eventually had him admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.
Einstein was not shocked when Tete was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Since Mileva’s sister had suffered from the same condition, and Tete had often shown signs of it, Einstein had already suspected this outcome. A year after Tete was hospitalized, Einstein fled Germany for the United States. Though he had frequently visited his sons while they all lived in Europe, once in America, he only kept in touch through letters.
The letters Einstein sent to Eduard were infrequent but typically filled with words of encouragement. In one such letter, Einstein likened people to the sea, saying they could be 'calm and friendly' or 'stormy and unpredictable.' He also expressed his hope of being reunited with his son the following spring. Sadly, World War II erupted, and Einstein never saw Tete again.
After Mileva passed away in 1948, Tete remained in the hospital for nearly another decade. He spent eight years living with a foster family but returned to the hospital when his foster mother fell ill. Tete passed away in 1965.
3. His Greatest Mistake
Although Einstein was undeniably a brilliant mind, he wasn’t without his flaws. In fact, he made at least seven errors in his different attempts to prove E=mc. However, in 1917, he made what he later referred to as his 'greatest blunder': he introduced the cosmological constant—represented by the Greek letter lambda—into the equations of his general relativity theory. Lambda symbolized a force that counteracted the pull of gravity. Einstein included lambda because most scientists of that era believed the universe was static.
Years later, Einstein removed the constant after realizing that his earlier equations were correct, and the universe was actually expanding. Surprisingly, in 2010, scientists revealed that the equations including lambda could, in fact, be accurate. They now believe lambda may explain 'dark energy,' a theoretical force that works against gravity and causes the universe's expansion to accelerate.
2. His Passion for Women
Whenever Einstein wasn’t focused on the theory of E=mc², puffing on his pipe, writing letters, or designing a blouse, he seemed to find time for women. His personal correspondence offers a glimpse into his love life, or more accurately, how much women admired him.
During an interview with NBC News, Hanoch Gutfreund, chairman of the Albert Einstein Worldwide Exhibition at Hebrew University, referred to Einstein’s second marriage to Elsa as a "marriage of convenience.” Gutfreund also suggested that the 3,500 pages of Einstein’s released letters in 2006 portray him in a different light, showing that he might not have been as poor a father and husband as previously thought.
Einstein was open about his inability to remain faithful to just one woman, candidly sharing with Elsa his many extramarital affairs. He regularly wrote to her about the numerous women who flocked to him, describing them as unwanted attention. Even while married, he had at least six lovers, including Estella, Ethel, Toni, and Margarita.
In a letter written in 1931 to his stepdaughter Margot, Einstein admitted: "It is true that M. followed me [to England] and her pursuit is becoming overwhelming. Of all the dames, I am actually attached only to Mrs. L., who is harmless and proper."
1. He Was a Devoted Smoker
Einstein had a deep fondness for two things: his violin and his pipe. He was known to be an enthusiastic smoker, once stating that smoking helped him achieve a sense of calm and clarity for 'objective judgment.' Even when his doctor advised him to quit, Einstein couldn't resist the urge to keep a pipe in his mouth, often simply chewing on it. Occasionally, he'd even collect discarded cigarette butts from the street to smoke in his pipe.
Throughout his life, Einstein was a proud member of the Montreal Pipe Smokers Club. On one occasion, he fell overboard during a boating trip but managed to cling to his beloved pipe, even while submerged in water. Apart from his numerous manuscripts and letters, the chewed pipe remains one of the few personal items we have of his. He entrusted the pipe to Gina Plunguian, a sculptor, friend, and employee who had previously crafted a bust of him.
The Einstein Puzzle: Who Owns the Fish?
The Einstein Puzzle, also known as the “Zebra Puzzle,” is a challenging brain teaser that some say was devised by Einstein himself, possibly to discourage students from choosing him as their academic advisor. However, there is little evidence to confirm that he actually created it. The puzzle is notoriously difficult, with a reported failure rate of 98%.
Let’s dive into the puzzle:
The setup: There are five houses in a row, each painted a unique color. Each house is owned by a different man, with distinct preferences in pets, drinks, and cigarette brands. Additionally, each homeowner belongs to a different nationality.
Here are the clues: The Swede owns dogs. The German smokes Prince cigarettes. The green house is directly to the left of the white house. The man who enjoys Blue Masters cigarettes also drinks beer. The Dane prefers tea. The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill cigarettes. The Norwegian resides in the first house. The individual in the green house also drinks coffee. The Brit lives in the red house. The middle house's owner drinks milk. The person who smokes Blend cigarettes has a neighbor who owns cats. The individual who smokes Pall Mall cigarettes keeps birds. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house. The person who smokes Blend cigarettes also has a neighbor who drinks water. The person living next to the Dunhill smoker keeps horses.
So, which man is the proud owner of a pet fish? (You can find the answer here.)
