E = mc^2. Yeah, we all know that Einstein founded the formula. But there are very few things we know about his life. Amaze yourself with these eight.
HE WAS BORN WITH A LARGE HEAD:
When Einstein was born, he was so fat and his head was so large, that his mother actually thought he was born deformed! Of course, he came back to normal size within a few months.
HIS MEMORY WAS NOT REALLY AS GOOD AS IT SEEMED:
Sure, Einstein could memorize books loaded with laws and formulae. But when it came to remembering common things, his memory was really short. He was worst at remembering birthdays and his usual excuse for it was that birthdays are for small kids.
HE DETESTED SCIENCE FICTION:
Einstein totally loathed science fiction because he felt that it changed the public's understanding of science, and instead gave them false illusions of things that could not really happen. In his own words, “I never think of the future, it comes soon enough.” That is why, he felt that those who saw stuff like flying saucers should keep their experience to themselves.
HE FAILED HIS UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAM:
In 1895, at the age of 17, Einstein, one of the greatest minds ever born actually failed his university entrance exam into the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School. Actually he passed the Science and the Math sections, but failed in the rest of it like History and Geography. When asked later about this, he said that they were too boring and he didn't feel like answering them correctly!
EINSTEIN DIDN'T LIKE WEARING SOCKS:
Einstein "discovered" at a young age that the big toe always ends up making a hole in the sock, so he decided to stop wearing socks. This particular habit continued till his death. Moreover, he never dressed according to anybody's like or dislike. He felt that either people knew him or they didn't, so it didn't matter anyway, he reasoned.
HE WAS A CHAUFFEUR FOR A DAY:
Once Einstein was on his way to deliver a speech to university students. His faithful chauffeur not only drove his car, but was always present amongst the audience during al his speeches. Einstein had delivered this particular speech so many times that his chauffeur had actually memorized it. On that day Einstein, while on his way to the university, said aloud in his car that he felt tired. So his chauffeur suggested that they change places and that while he delivers the speech, Einstein could drive them back home. Their identities wouldn't be a problem because Einstein wasn't more than a university professor then and so no one in that university would recognize him. So he agreed but was a little thoughtful about what his chauffeur would do if he was asked any difficult questions by the students, after the speech. However, the speech went well but Einstein's thought came true. A student came up with a question. Here's what the chauffeur said “Why, that question's so simple, that even my chauffeur can answer it.” And so Einstein stood u from the audience and easily answered the question, much to the amazement of the audience.
HE WAS INSPIRED BY A COMPASS:
At a very young age, Albert Einstein was presented with a compass by his father for a birthday gift. After seeing the compass at work Einstein tried a lot to find out its working. He was really amazed after doing so and thus decided to find out all about the various forces existent in nature.
THE SECRET BEHIND HIS GENIUS:
After Einstein's death in 1955, his brain was removed from his head by Thomas Stoltz Harvey for research purposes. But this was done illegally. Later Einstein's son Hans Albert Einstein gave him permission to research on the genius brain. Harvey sent slices of Einstein's brain to various scientists throughout the world.
From these studies it was discovered that Einstein's brain had much more glial cells, the cells responsible for synthesizing information, in his brain than an average human being. Also, Einstein's brain lacked a certain wrinkle in it, called Sylvian fissure. This allowed easier communication of nerve cells with each other. Furthermore, his brain was denser and the inferior parietal lobe associated with mathematical ability was much larger.
Not Fair! I had put in many great pics of Einstein which Triond seems to have removed from my articel :(
#5 by swordfish, Oct 4, 2007
great read. how do you add pics? to your work? do they have to be your own?
#6 by Mark, Oct 4, 2007
The fact that Einstein's brain may or may not be physically different from so called "normal" brains means nothing.
Was the anatomical difference due to congenital forces that led to his brilliance? Or did his brilliance lead to the USE of those parts of the brain that later changed and grew or morphed because of all that use? Like a muscle that gets bigger with use.
There is only one way to know. Examine the brain at birth, put it back in the skull, see how brilliant the kid becomes, then examine the brain again after death. In other words, it can't really be done. That's why the science of eugenics is dead. Maybe some day this kind of thing can be done by scanning, but until that day, ANYTHING about the physiologic nature of Einstein's brain is meaningless.
#7 by Bon, Oct 4, 2007
" THE SECRET BEHIND HIS GENIUS:"
Is complete bologna. To say that the cells in his brain were the cause of his intelligence is completely unfounded. It is funny to see such pseudoscience used to try to explain Einstein of all people.
#8 by NITIN, Oct 4, 2007
HE WAS A CHAUFFEUR FOR A DAY:
CRAP!!!!!! thats n urban legend
#9 by Stone Heart, Oct 4, 2007
Great article. Informative and well-written.
But..I guess #6 is quiet a disguise of Einstein being a chauffeur? I might be wrong but as far as my memory helps me...Since Einstein was tired of making a public speech, Einstein's chauffer( which look like Albert Einstein) suggested to gave the speech himself since he heard it all the time. Einstein agreed and let his chauffeur did it for him. So, Einstein wore his chauffeur cap and jacket, then settle himself at the back portion of the place. Einstein's chauffeur delivered the speech quiet well and when there were few questions, he answered it very well. Then, there was a man who asked arrogantly or disapproved some of Einstein's work, Einstein's chaueffeur gave him a wild stare. Since he can't answer the question (because only the real Einstein can answer) , the chauffeur said, "Sir, the answer to that question is so simple and I will let my chauffeur, who is setting at the back will answer it for me".
Well, that's what I knew. I maybe wrong.
The bottom line is your article is enlightening. Good work.
#10 by a.king, Oct 4, 2007
I was bored and ramdomly using my "stumble upon" button and it hit on your article. Funny, that is the first time I have randomly stumbled upon one of my fellow triond writer's work like that. lol. Good work Onflame!
#11 by Albert Einstein, Oct 4, 2007
Everybody! Stop blabbering over me! If you want to know the truth of my brain, it is just smart! Just a normal brain except with more knowledge!
#12 by Onflame, Oct 4, 2007
Thanks for the comments everybody! I really appreaciate them, especially the emcouraging ones. As for the critics, I've put in possibilities over here. There seems to be a lot of cotroversy over poor Einstein's brain :( . Please feel free to post anything you may know about his brain because as I've said, what I posted is one of the thousand possibilities.
Thanks again,
Onflame
#13 by KD, Oct 5, 2007
Thanks for an interesting article. Digged.
#14 by awihawm loh, Oct 5, 2007
Is therea proof to any of the claims here? They seem very unlikely and fabricated..
#15 by Centaurs, Oct 6, 2007
Great Article.
Know what you mean about the pics. Makes you wonder why Triond don't just tell us where they get their pictures from and then we could all use them! No copyright problems at all then.
#16 by Onflame, Oct 6, 2007
@ Centaurs, you seem to be having a misconception. Triond does allow you to put in your own pictures in your articles, eve if you've got them from the net. You can confirm this from my other articles. Unfortunately, the pics that I put into this article weren't published. That's what I meant.
A big thanks to everybody for the comments...
Onflame
#17 by Max Miroff, Oct 6, 2007
Congratulations on getting to the top of the "What's Hot" list!
#18 by Onflame, Oct 6, 2007
Thanks Max, that was really encouraging!
#19 by keyboardologist, Oct 7, 2007
I seem to remember reading a biography about Einstein that mentioned he rarely would ride in automobiles. He was also a violinist of exceptional caliber. He was once offered the presidency of Israel, he was horrible in grade school, and was able to see the evil possibility of nuclear research. He was very anti- war. A peacful man.
Good article.
#20 by Onflame, Oct 7, 2007
Thanks keyboardologist, what you've stated here are indeed true.
Thanks everybody for the comments,
Onflame
#21 by Darlene McFarlane, Oct 7, 2007
Very interesting article. I was most interested by #8.
Great job!
#22 by Geordie Janner, Oct 8, 2007
Many thanks for publishing an interesting article.
#23 by Cardtouche, Oct 9, 2007
Nice going Onflame, really enjoyable.
#24 by arjun, Oct 10, 2007
shibu nice one.its good
#25 by Biggs, Oct 11, 2007
Fact #8 on the source of Einstein's genius is dead wrong. Glial cells play no part in "synthesizing information." Glial cells are not neurons, and come in multiple forms, e.g. astrocytes and oligodendrocites. Oligodendrocites do play a role in saltatory conduction of an action potential down the axon of a neuron by creating a myelin sheath interspersed with nodes of Ranvier, which is a part of normal neural functioning. Any first year psych/biology student can tell you that this explanation for Einstein's genius is crap.
On the other hand, comment #7 is also fairly insane. Of COURSE the cells in Einstein's brain were the source of his genius. Did you think it was his amazing feet? Comment #6 is probably the most insightful in this argument, at least in reference to the anatomy of Einstein's brain; we simply do not know what made him special, and post hoc explanations are unhelpful in absence of further evidence.
#26 by valli, Oct 11, 2007
Interesting article. I knew many things.
#27 by Poohead, Oct 13, 2007
Any speculation on Einstein's brain probably is worthless, however, I personally enjoyed this article as a fun little thing to read.
#28 by linzy1981, Oct 14, 2007
also to add Einstein didnt speak till he was 4 years old and also a biography says that he could not read till he was 7! Great article!!
#29 by Liane Schmidt, Oct 14, 2007
I like what Einstein has to say about himself.
Great article.
Best wishes.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
#30 by Stone Heart, Oct 18, 2007
Hey Onflame..,
You rock. You're article is burning in flame..., just like your name Onflame...!!!LOL!!!!
Congratulations....
Hot stuff.
:-)
#31 by SadPanda, Oct 24, 2007
that chauffeur story is fake. It exists in many forms (e.g. rabbi and horseman).
#32 by Gone Mad, Nov 15, 2007
Nice find, Onflame
#33 by Anonymous, Feb 23, 2008
Really interesting article.
I'm not sure if some of these are completely truthful, though.
No matter - I really liked number 6. :)
Your articles are wonderful.
#34 by diogenes2, Apr 17, 2008
The secret to why Einstein succeeded after such an early set of indications of SUB-normalcy may lie in the genius of his first wife.
It would also explain his failure to continue to develop from that start.......
( A VERY common cause, methinks and no, I am a male :-) )
#35 by prem , Jul 1, 2008
why eistein was so sucesful becuse he was persistent . he would never give up a promblem is working until he found the solution
#36 by Njmad, Jul 16, 2008
Great piece of writing. "even my cheffeur cold answer it" Lol. XD. Smart cheffeur (both of them, lol).
#37 by Njmad, Aug 22, 2008
Could*
#38 by Kaleem, Oct 9, 2008
It's a good article
#39 by garra, Nov 6, 2008
its all right, well riten
#40 by salt , Nov 30, 2008
Thx for writing this,and the 8th fact shocked me the most!Cause some guy took out his brain after he died!
