Einstein

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist whose theories of space, time, and energy transformed modern physics. Born in Ulm and raised in Munich, he studied at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, where he earned a degree in physics in 1900. He later became a Swiss and then a United States citizen, spending much of his career in Princeton, New Jersey.

Einstein is best known for his 1905 annus mirabilis papers, which introduced the theory of special relativity, the famous equation E=mc^2, and foundational work on the photoelectric effect and Brownian motion. In 1915, he published the general theory of relativity, presenting a description of gravitation as the curvature of spacetime. These insights reshaped concepts of space, time, and gravity and laid the groundwork for much of 20th-century physics.

In 1921 Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect, which helped establish quantum theory. He refused to accept some political and military roles but remained active in intellectual debates and international science. After emigrating to the United States in 1933 to escape Nazi persecution, he joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, where he continued to contribute to physics and advocated for civil liberties and pacifism, though he did not participate in the development of atomic weapons.

Einstein’s work and public persona made him a symbol of scientific genius. His theories of relativity, quantum phenomena, and ongoing discussions about the relationships between science, ethics, and society continue to influence physics and popular culture.