Albert Rin stein 101 



Einstein's later work is even less easily understood by 

 the ordinary mind than the results which we have been 

 describing, but he is always at work, and it is not too 

 much to say that he has changed profoundly man's 

 conception of the universe of which this earth of ours is a 

 part. 



Our readers may care to know something of the life- 

 history of this astonishing man. He was born in Ulm, a 

 city of Wurttemberg, best known for its wonderful 

 cathedral, the spire of which towers to the great height of 

 five hundred and thirty feet. One of his earliest memories 

 is of his father showing him a compass. Albert Einstein 

 was only five years old at the time, yet the metal needle 

 swinging surely toward the north stirred in him a strange 

 wonder. The house he lived in was small, but it had a 

 charming garden, and the boy was very happy there. He 

 did not show signs of his genius very early in life. In fact, 

 he was so late in learning to talk that his parents were 

 troubled, and even when he was big enough to go to 

 school he was still a shy, quiet, rather solitary lad. Cer- 

 tainly he did not like his school, for it was run on regular 

 Prussian lines, with masters stiff as drill sergeants. He 

 seems to have worked well and steadily, but the only 

 study for which he showed a real love was music. From 

 his first school he went to the more advanced Gymnasium 

 in Munich, and there he met a teacher who introduced him 

 to Greek literature and to poetry, both of which attracted 

 him. 



About this time he became interested in algebra. An 

 uncle of his lived in Munich, and one day Albert asked 

 him : " What is algebra ? " 



The uncle's reply was: "Algebra is a great help to 

 the lazy mathematician. If you do not know a certain 

 quantity you call it x and treat it as if you do know it. 

 In the long run you find what it really is." From that 

 time onward Albert Einstein was never happier than when 



