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Part 1: Einstein the scientist

Einstein invented principles central to

the laser
GPS satellites
smartphone cameras
all of the above

When Einstein first came up with the idea for E=mc², he told a friend he was

convinced he was right
fearful that he might be right
wondering if God was laughing at him and misleading him

The first astronomical expedition to test Einstein’s theories, in 1914, failed because

the astronomers were arrested as spies
the sky was too cloudy
his predictions were wrong

The second astronomical expedition to test Einstein’s theory, in 1919, succeeded because

the great English astronomer Eddington led a: team to West Africa
a suspicious priest sent extra photo plates to Brazil
the great English astronomer fudged the data

To cover the Royal Society’s magnificent announcement confirming Einstein’s theory, the New York Times sent

a golfing correspondent
a garden correspondent
an engineering correspondent

When Einstein famously said “God does not play dice with the universe”, his good friend Niels Bohr at least once replied

“Einstein, but quantum mechanics is still true”
“Einstein, aphorisms are not science”
“Einstein, stop telling God what to do”

When Einstein first heard that an atomic bomb had destroyed the city of Hiroshima, he said

“Man cannot control what he creates”
“If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have lifted a finger”
“Even if I had known this would happen, it was worth it to defend ourselves”

Part 2: Einstein the man

When Einstein was little he threw a bowling ball at his sister’s head. She later remarked:

“In our family we stayed away from bowling balls after that”
“I honestly did not believe my brother would become a world-famous physicist”
“This shows it takes a thick skull to be the sister of a world-famous physicist”

When Einstein finally got into university, his main instructor, Professor Weber said “You are a smart boy, Einstein, a very smart boy. But you have one great fault...

... you’re too dreamy”
... you do not show me sufficient respect”
... you do not let yourself be told anything”

Courting the woman who became his first wife, Mileva Marić, Einstein around age 20 threw caution to the wind and sent her

an erotic poem
a drawing of his foot
a recipe from his mother’s cooking that he wanted her to make

After Einstein sent his E=mc² paper off for publication he and his wife

walked in the mountains around Bern
promised to collaborate more in the future
ended up drunk under a table

What did Einstein say was painful in youth, but could be made delicious in maturity

solitude
celibacy
romance

When Einstein met Kafka at a literary salon in Prague, around 1911, the two men

discussed literature
discussed science
were too shy to speak

One of the first foods Einstein purchased when taking up his position at Princeton in 1933 had an intriguing carrying device he seemed not have recognized before. It was

an insulated pizza delivery pack
an ice cream cone
a hamburger bun

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The Einstein quiz

Part 1: Einstein the scientist

Part 2: Einstein the man