Introduction: The Light Beam Rider

“What if I could ride a bicycle as alongside a light beam? What does it feel like to travel as fast as the speed of light?” These are the thoughts that filled Einstein’s mind as a 16 year old. He had a colourful imagination which made him think of the most impossible ideas. Only Albert Einstein thought about the curving of light and the curving of reality itself.

His got these very distinct features of wild curly hair and piercing eyes which made him very recognizable. Einstein preferred to work alone but he always wanted to share his findings to the rest of the world. He can be a solitary man, studying day and night in his apartment. But he can also be an international celebrity who inspires the world.

In 1905, he laid the foundations of quantum physics. That is when Einstein published that light can act both as a wave and as a particle. In that same year, he also came up with special relativity and E=mc2. Einstein published a total of 5 papers in 1905. One of them earned him a Nobel Prize. Indeed, he had the workings of a genius.

One decade later, Einstein came up with his greatest theory just yet. That is none other than general relativity. It marked the end of classical physics and paved way for modern physics. It gave a more accurate view of the universe that is more encompassing than Newton’s.

He didn’t stop working even on his death bed. In his old age, Einstein became dedicated to discovering the theory of everything. It is the unified field theory which combines quantum mechanics, general relative, electro magnetism and gravity in one set of laws. In essence, the unified theory should explain everything in the universe from the tiny electrons to the enormous planets.

To this day, physicists are continuing this quest. They are understanding more and more of quantum physics. Though the quantum world is full of uncertainties and probabilities, the basic principle that electrons can act both as a wave and as a particle made possible the modern technology we have today.

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Childhood

Young Einstein was already two years old but he still cannot talk. His parents had to consult a doctor. They feared that he would not be able to talk at all. When he got into it, young Einstein had the habit of repeating his words to himself before saying them out loud. It led his family to think that he is retarded.

Einstein said time and again that his wild imagination, his child-like curiosity is what made him see things that other people cannot. Most people walk down hill, ride a fast train or see a lightning strike and accept it as a part of life. But for Einstein, he always wanted to know the reason behind these phenomena.

Einstein’s ancestors are Jewish businessmen. They lived a comfortable life in Swabia, a beautiful  village southwest of Germany. The Einsteins are intelligent and educated people. They are known to be secular and independent-minded.
Hermann Einstein and Pauline Koch are Albert Einstein’s parents. Hermann was a proud businessman while Pauline is a strong-willed woman. Both of them built a nurturing home for their children.

When Albert Einstein was just one years old, his family moved to Munich. This is because his uncle Jakob invited his father to start an electrical supply business. Jakob is the engineer while Hermann is the salesman. Together, they secured electrical contracts for the towns of south Germany.

Albert had a little sister when he was two years old. Her name is Maja. When he saw his baby sister for the first time, Albert said “Yes, but where are the wheels?” He saw his sister as a wonderful little toy. Growing up, Albert and Maja adored each other.

The Einstein family had a huge elegant home in Munich. Their house was surrounded by a plush garden. For most of Albert’s childhood, his family lived a happy comfortable life. This stable and loving environment nurtured his imaginative mind.

Little Albert is prone to day dreaming and wandering off alone. He liked playing with puzzles and building sets. He is able to create complex structures. Maja said that he can make buildings out of cards up to fourteen floors.

Two amazing things happened when Albert was 5 years old. He received gifts from his parents which became big influences in his personality and his life. The first one is a compass from his father. The second one is a violin from his mother.

Young Einstein is lying in bed one day, trembling with high fever. His father sat beside him and gave him a compass. Einstein was mesmerized by the item. He was held captive with wonder. He watched very curiously as the tiny needle swivelled in direction. Einstein cannot wait to learn how the compass works.

Not long after wards, his mother gave him a violin and arranged for him to have lessons. Pauline Einstein is herself an excellent pianist. When young  Albert learned the violin, mother and son began to play together. Their favourite musician is Mozart.

Einstein found Mozart’s compositions to be of pure beauty. For him, the sonatas reflect the wonder of the universe.

Einstein was known to play his violin whenever he encounters difficult problems, especially during the time when he developed general relativity. He would play late at night alone in his apartment. At the middle of his performance, he would suddenly stop and exclaim, “I’ve got it!”

He studied in Luitpold Gymnasium until he was 15. Something happened with the Einstein family in that year of 1984. The electrical business of Albert’s father got into a tough time. The contracts were not so abundant anymore. They have to sell the beautiful house in Munich and move to Milan, Italy where Hermann Einstein saw a better future.

Albert was supposed to remain three more years in Munich to finish his basic education. But after the Christmas vacation of 1984, he never came back. He got the family doctor to make a certificate for him saying that he’s sick. Einstein boarded a train to Italy to reunite with his family.

The reason behind leaving Munich is that Einstein does not want to be drafted in the army. If he had remained in Germany one more year, he would be required to do so. Later on, Einstein asked the help of his father to finally renounce his German citizenship.

He also expressed his desire to study in Zurich Polytechnic. He boarded the train to Switzerland. Einstein aced the entrance exams on science and math. But he terribly failed in French, politics and literature. Eventually, he was accepted in the institution.

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The Zurich Polytechnic

Albert Einstein was by then 17 years old. He was included in the class which has special training for both math and physics. His mother’s relatives supported him in Zurich. They give him a monthly allowance of 100 Swiss francs. Einstein paid for his student lodgings. He saved 20 francs each month for his plan to become a Swiss citizen.

The most important thing that happened to Einstein in Zurich Polytechnic is meeting his future wife, Mileva Maric. Mileva is a daughter of a proud Serbian farmer. She was encouraged by her father to be an expert in physics and math. Mileva was enrolled in top competitive schools in which she was able to excel.

Until finally, when she was 21 years old, Mileva made it to Zurich Polytechnic. She was the only girl in Einstein’s class. Over the years, Albert and Mileva became madly in love. They exchanged countless of letters expressing their passion for science and for each other. They enjoyed reading books together and discussing lectures.

Albert’s mother disapproved of Mileva because she is smart but not comely in anyway. Einstein is devoted to Mileva however. He calls her by the name “Dollie” and addresses her as “my wild little rascal”. Mileva has the nickname “Johnnie” for him. She also called Einstein as “my wicked little sweetheart”.

Einstein graduated as top of his class in 1990 in spite of his delinquency towards his teachers. Mileva was not able to graduate that year as she had very low grades. She promised to finish her studies none the less.

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The Lovers

Two years after graduation, Einstein desperately looked for a job. His professors at Zurich Polytechnic rejected him to be an assistant. Although they remember him as a genius, they could not forget his rebellious manners. That’s why he wasn’t able to land a job in the institution. Meanwhile, he landed some tutorial gigs here and there.

Einstein finally got his Swiss citizenship. He had been stateless since he renounced his German citizenship. He said that he liked Switzerland better because it has a more democratic and humane system.

That summer of 1901, Einstein and Mileva had a romantic getaway in Como village. They visited a beautiful mansion and went mountain hiking. In that vacation, Einstein got Mileva pregnant.

Through his letters, he always promised that he would get a job so they can live together and be a family. But Einstein took so long before he landed a permanent job. Mean while, Mileva took her graduation exams again but failed. She went home to her parents in Novi Sad.

Mileva gave birth to a baby girl named Lieserl. Although Einstein sent his sweet letters, he never took the train to Novi Sad. What really happened to Lieserl  was covered with mystery.

It was said that Lieserl  was adopted by Mileva’s close friend. But there’s also a possibility that she died of scarlet fever when she was three years old. Mileva went back to Zurich without her. It was only in 1903 when she and Albert got married. They had a civil wedding witnessed only by two friends.

In 1904, Hans Albert Einstein was born. Mileva and Albert’s first son brought back happiness in their relationship. They had another son named Eduard in 1910. Eventually, Mileva and Albert’s marriage would end up in divorce. Hans Albert grew up to be an engineer while Eduard suffered from extreme mental illness. Einstein’s second son stayed in asylum for most of his life. 

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